SASKATOON — The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Executive continues to stand in support of the family of the late Colten Boushie in their calls for real systemic change within the Canadian Criminal Justice System.
Colten’s family also renewed calls for a public inquiry into his shooting death and the acquittal of Gerald Stanley, which happened four years ago Feb. 9.
“Four years following his acquittal, we are still waiting for justice for my son and closure. We can’t heal because of the injustice that happened in that court room and that man walked away a free man. He committed a crime and Canada accepted that. You can kill someone and get away with it,” says Debbie Baptiste, Colten Boushie’s mother.
“We are tired of waiting patiently for an answer and an apology from the RCMP, or the follow up from Justin Trudeau. Change needs to happen, and we need answers. We need to make sure that another First Nations family is not discriminated against the way we were by the RCMP or through the court process. We need to make sure that this failed justice system changes from within so that another family doesn’t suffer the injustices we still face today.”
“We continue to support Debbie Baptiste and her family as they walk this journey for justice for Colten Boushie and to see real systemic changes come from within a broken justice system that continues to fill their jail cells and institutions with our people,” says FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “We have been advocating about the overrepresentation and overincarceration rates of First Nations people in the justice system for decades but where is the real systemic change? They’re building more jails faster than addressing the root causes that created this crisis in the first place. Colten’s death will not be in vain. We will continue fighting alongside of Debbie Baptiste and her family in their call for a public inquiry into Colten’s death and the acquittal of Gerald Stanley.”
Colten Boushie was shot and killed by Gerald Stanley on Aug. 9, 2016, near Biggar. Colten Boushie’s family continues to fight for a public inquiry into the numerous issues surrounding Colten’s death, the subsequent RCMP investigation, and criminal trial that followed, which they say continue to deny them justice and closure.
The FSIN says the shooting death of Colten Boushie and the subsequent acquittal of Gerald Stanley, serves as an example of systemic discrimination in the Canadian Criminal Justice System; from the flawed investigation and jury selection process to the Crown’s extraordinary decision not to appeal the verdict.
It also highlights the Criminal Justice System’s continuing failure to treat First Nations victims and their families with fairness, respect, and dignity, says the FSIN.
“The RCMP racially discriminated against Colten Boushie’s family and still has yet to apologize for their damaging conduct,” states a release by the FSIN. “The shooting death of Colten Boushie also revealed the extent which racism and stereotypes encourage and justify hatred of First Nations people on social media and within the Canadian conscious as we watched Colten Boushie and his family be unfairly degraded and dehumanized, which was emphasised after the acquittal of Gerald Stanley.”
