For the second time in less than two weeks, federal leaders are saying 鈥渨e need to do better鈥 after a jury found an accused man not guilty in the death of a young Indigenous person.
A Manitoba jury acquitted 56-year-old Raymond Cormier of second-degree murder Thursday in connection with the death of Tina Fontaine, a 15-year-old girl whose body was found wrapped in a duvet and dumped in Winnipeg鈥檚 Red River in 2014.
Indigenous leaders quickly compared the verdict to the case of Colten Boushie, the 22-year-old Indigenous man from Saskatchewan who was shot in the head on a rural farm. Lawyers for the accused, Gerald Stanley, who was holding the weapon, argued that the gun went off in a 鈥渇reak accident.鈥
The jury found Stanley not guilty.
Shortly after the acquittal in the Tina Fontaine case, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Carolyn Bennett tweeted that 鈥渨e need to do better鈥 and 鈥渇ix this.鈥
鈥淢y thoughts are with Tina Fontaine鈥檚 family. Tina's is a tragic story that demonstrates the failures of all the systems for Indigenous children and youth on every level. We need to do better -- we need to fix this,鈥
Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott echoed those comments, 鈥淲e must do better. Justice and our common humanity demand it.鈥
The ministers鈥 comments are strikingly similar to Trudeau鈥檚 reaction after the Boushie verdict. The morning after Stanley鈥檚 acquittal, Trudeau said 鈥渨e have to do better.鈥
"Indigenous people across this country are angry, they're heartbroken, and I know Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians alike know that we have to do better,"
That led to some accusing Trudeau of undermining the court鈥檚 verdict. Conservative Indigenous affairs critic Cathy McLeod tweeted that her thoughts were with the Boushie family, but we 鈥渘eed to let the many steps of an independent judicial process unfold without political interference.鈥
As of Thursday night, Trudeau -- who is in India -- has not responded to the Cormier verdict.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh strongly condemned the justice system following the trial鈥檚 outcome, saying it 鈥渃ontinues to fail Indigenous people.鈥
鈥淭ina Fontaine was 15 years old. She was brutally murdered. The system failed her every step of the way - even in seeking justice. Our justice system continues to fail Indigenous people. We all have a responsibility to fix it,鈥
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has not commented on the verdict.
Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton said she was 鈥渟hocked and disgusted鈥 following the acquittal.
鈥淭ina is a symbol of #MMIWG in our country - and this is the signal [Canadian] society sends? No justice. No peace. We must stand up to this injustice,鈥
NDP Charlie Angus quoted Sgt. John O鈥橠onovan, a Winnipeg homicide investigator, who said early on in the case, "We would be horrified if we found a litter of kittens or pups in this condition. This is a child that has been murdered. Society should be horrified."
鈥淥h Canada what is it going to take?鈥
Standing outside the Winnipeg courtroom on Thursday, Indigenous leader Sheila North said 鈥渨e as a nation need to do better for our young people. All of us.鈥
"All of us should be ashamed of what happened to her and Colten Boushie and to others," said North, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.
"The systems -- everything -- involved in Tina's life failed her. We've all failed her.鈥
With files from The Canadian Press
