Six members of the Lake Babine Nation allege RCMP investigators’ “stereotypes and biased attitudes” resulted in a flawed investigation into abuse allegations at Immaculata Elementary School and Prince George College in northern B.C.
At the centre of the inquiry is a prominent figure who has held high-profile positions, including, at times, working closely with the RCMP. The allegations against him — that he abused children decades ago while teaching in Burns Lake and Prince George — have been widely publicized, going back more than a decade.
But The Tyee can’t name him. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal granted him a confidentiality order, concluding there was “real and substantial risk” that identifying him could cause undue hardship.
Over the last two years, as they waited for hearings to begin, three of six complainants and one witness have died.
The tribunal will decide, based on evidence presented, whether the RCMP discriminated when it investigated the historic abuses.
In This Series
Human Rights Tribunal Hearings Start Today in Burns Lake
Here’s why we can’t publish the name of the powerful figure at the centre of this inquiry into the RCMP’s handling of abuse allegations.
'She Was Ready to Testify'
Indigenous day school survivors who died before they got a chance to testify were remembered as a human rights tribunal gets underway in Burns Lake.
This Immaculata Student Still Bears Scars, 50 Years Later
At the northern BC school, Richard Perry endured abuse so severe his family pulled him out, a human rights tribunal heard.
‘Why Am I Taking a Polygraph When I’m Telling the Truth?’
Former Immaculata student Beverly Abraham says she was abused, and then retraumatized when she came forward to the RCMP.
Burns Lake Witnesses Describe Mysterious Visits from the RCMP
Two people say they were contacted for the first time in a decade-old investigation, weeks before testifying at a human rights tribunal.
RCMP Lawyers Suggest a Journalist Planted Memories in Burns Lake
Repeatedly, witnesses were asked if they’d written their own affidavits. They kept saying they just wanted to be heard and believed.
Over the DOJ’s Objections, an Expert Witness Testifies about the RCMP
Officers should have been aware of Indigenous people’s historical mistrust of the force, law professor David Milward told the tribunal.
Ex-Georgia Straight Editor Testifies about RCMP Pressure
Charlie Smith told a rights tribunal about the ‘media maelstrom’ after a bombshell report about historical abuse at two northern schools.
RCMP Officer Testifies about Mistakes in Burns Lake Investigation
‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ Cpl. Bill Larsen, then a rookie, said about asking sexual assault victim for a polygraph.
RCMP Removes Investigators from Tribunal Witness List
Officers conducting a ‘spinoff’ investigation into abuses at Immaculata Elementary School won’t appear at human rights hearings.
Inside the RCMP’s Investigation into a ‘Well-Known Canadian’
The lead investigator was in close contact with the lawyer for ‘AB,’ but didn’t collect a statement or request a polygraph.
What Happened When Two Mounties Met at a White Spot
A human rights inquiry about Burns Lake offers a rare glimpse into how police investigate their own.
Deep into a Human Rights Inquiry, BC Asks to Weigh In
As a tribunal considers victim services snafus and problems with RCMP sexual assault investigations, the province demands a say.
BC Granted ‘Limited’ Status in Human Rights Inquiry
The province says it was only alerted by the RCMP to the ongoing hearings in July.
Divesting the RCMP of Abuse Investigations in Indigenous Communities
The BC First Nations Justice Council testified about culturally appropriate policing alternatives at a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing.
Police Reform Talks Stalled over Calls to Oust the RCMP, BC Says
First Nations groups want a provincial force and expanded Indigenous policing.