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Missing/Murdered First Nations (Native) Women
NATIVE WOMEN MISSING AND/OR MURDERED IN CANADA
NORTH WEST TERRITORIES, YUKON AND NUNAVUT
MURDERED
Susan Natar
SUSAN NATAR, of Hall Beach was beaten to death. She died on Sept. 21, 2003, five days after being flown to an Ottawa hospital.
Silas Ammaklak, a Hall Beach man is charged with second degree murder.

MURDERED

Sylvia Lyall-Ritchie
SYLVIA LYALL-RITCHIE, aged 41 of Iqaluit was found strangled in her apt.on June 22, 2004
Sylvia had recently been celebrating the ending of a long term abusive relationship, a new job and the beginning of a new life when she was murdered.
She was murdered while her ex partner was serving the conditional sentence of custody imposed on May 20th, 2004. History had again repeated itself. This was the third time in the space of nine months that he had reoffended by assaulting his spouse while under sentence in the community. This was the fourth time in the space of a year and a half that he had violated a court order. A term of this conditional sentence had prohibited him from the possession or consumption of alcohol. He knew from his previous experience that Sylvia Lyall was at risk when he consumed alcohol. Yet he chose to drink. This was not a minor or technical breach. He drank to the point that he lost both his memory and his self-control.
A petite mother of four, Lyall recently landed a full-time position as executive secretary to Finance Minister Leona Aglukkaq, a promising situation after short-lived jobs as a flight attendant, a dry-cleaning worker and a catering cook.
Immediately after announcing her death, police arrested and charged Pat Anablak, a 50-year-old transit system bus driver for the City of Iqaluit and a former corrections officer, with first-degree murder. He plead guilty to manslaughter.
He was the man Sylvia had recently left, following years of abuse by him.
Police also charged Anablak with breaching probation conditions related to a past conviction of assaulting Lyall.
Sylvia's death shocked Nunavut’s political élite and a wide-reaching web of family and friends, who described her
as a kind woman with a sunny disposition, who spent most of her spare time visiting them, either at their homes, or at the Legion for a game of darts.
”It wasn’t unusual to go over to someone’s house and find Sylvia there,” said niece Janet Brewster. “She was just a joyful person. She was always smiling, and she had the best laugh.”
Lyall was the youngest daughter in a modern-day Arctic dynasty from the Kitikmeot.
Born in Edmonton, she moved between Alberta and Nunavut communities after studying at the Sir John Franklin high school in Yellowknife, with some of Nunavut’s notable public figures, including MLA Hunter Tootoo and MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell.
Premier Paul Okalik, who knew Lyall for 20 years, extended his sympathies, saying “her smile and good humour will be deeply missed in the cabinet offices of government.”
Most Nunavummiut recognize Lyall’s family name because of her father’s historical role in helping establish the community of Spence Bay, now called Taloyoak.
Her father, Ernie Lyall, a Hudson’s Bay clerk from Labrador, helped many Inuit, including his future wife Nipisha, relocate from Cape Dorset to the Kitikmeot.Once settled, the Lyall family blossomed into an influential force, raising Charlie Lyall, president of the Kitikmeot Corp., the development branch of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association; Bill, a prominent member of the Arctic co-op movement, and former MLA in the government of the Northwest Territories; Dennis, former mayor of Taloyoak; and Pat, former head of Nunasi Corp., Nunavut’s main birthright development group.
However, colleagues remember Lyall for more than her family connections. Phil Bourdeau, who worked with her in the finance department, said he feels a “big hole” in the office that used to be filled by Lyall’s outgoing personality.
“I don’t think, in hindsight, I can ever remember seeing her in a bad mood,” Bourdeau said. “It was a real joy to be around her.
“I think she typified the saying ‘bad things happen to good people.’”
Sylvia's two nieces say they hope her death will serve as a warning to those living in abusive relationships.
One of her nieces told the court , through her victim impact statement, of one incident several years ago in which police and medical staff at the local hospital sobbed when they saw the severity of Lyall-Ritchie's injuries from one of Anablak's beatings.During that assault, Sylvia was hospitalized for several days.
She added that people living in violent relationships should seek help before it's too late. She also urged friends, family members and even employers to take action and not give up on those they know to be in abusive situations.
"If only one family or one friend of a woman who's in that situation hears what we've gone through and makes that extra effort to help their friend or family member and saves their lives, I think maybe I'll feel a sense of closure then," she said.
She said she wasn't happy with Anablak's guilty plea to manslaughter, adding that it should have been moved up to first-degree murder given the prior incidents revealed in court.
Despite several convictions of assault against Sylvia, the accused continued to abuse her and be released from jail at hearings with only warnings not to consume alcohol or be near Sylvia if he had been drinking and to refrain from abusing her.
Taking into consideration time served (which equalled 5 years) he was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison for the murder of Sylvia Lyall-Ritchie.

MURDERED

Alacie Moses
,
ALACIE MOSES aged 20, died on Oct. 5, 2004 after she was stabbed in Puvirnituq in front of two children. The children desperately tried to prevent the woman's assailant from stabbing her repeatedly with a knife, but they were unable to stop the attack.
Daniel Sivuarapik, 25, a former general repairman at the municipality, was charged with first-degree murder in her death.
On the night of Moses’ death, police found Sivuarapik sitting on a couch, with blood flowing from his chest. He resisted any attempts from police to intervene, saying that he did not want medical care, and preferred to die.
Sivuarapik since recovered from that wound.
On Jan. 28th, 2005, Sivuarapik, who had pleaded guilty to the murder charge, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Jacques Viens to life in prison, with no possibility of parole before 10 years.

MURDERED

Rose Ruth Kaitak
ROSE RUTH KAITAK, a 15-month- old baby girl from Salluit who was shot dead as she lay fast asleep in her crib in August, 2004 . Shortly after the incident police arrested her brother, Nulukie Kaitak, 19.
According to police, Kaitak shot with a rifle into the ceiling, while his sister was sleeping upstairs in her crib. Three shots were fired; one lodged in the sleeping baby, fatally injuring her.
Kaitak pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death and was sentenced to four years in prison.

MURDERED

Michelle Ayalik
MICHELLE AYALIK, aged 13, of Kuglugtuk, NU, was shot and killed on March 16, 1998.
Her step-father Steven Ayalik, when he pushed her down into the bathtub and then pushed the mule of his gun into her mouth and shot her.
After that, Ayalik walked through the kitchen, where he ejected the spent round and loaded another into the chamber. In the master bedroom, he found two of his children, Allison, aged seven, and Alexander, aged four.
Ayalik then shot each sleeping child in the face.
He had every legal right to possess the weapon. When he had applied for a firearms acquisition permit in January of 1994, his wife and a social worker had signed a character reference for him.
For reasons that we will never understand, Ayalik did not murder a fourth child, a son who appeared at the doorway. Instead, he ordered the child to go to his grandmother's. By the time police arrived, Ayalik had used a fourth round to shoot himself in the head.
A subsequent coroner's investigation shows that those who had the legal and moral duty to protect the lives of the three innocent children who Ayalik murdered that night failed consistently to perform their duties.
For example:
In September, 1991, Ayalik picked up his infant son and threw him across a room. He was never convicted of the crime and social workers never conducted a child welfare investigation.
In September, 1994, Ayalik applied for an FAC, admitting on the form that he had been reported to the police for acts of violence in reference to the assault on his infant child. Despite that, a social worker signed a character reference on Ayalik's behalf.
In 1994, 1996, and 1997, Ayalik was convicted of beating his wife in front of his four children, and on one occasion of beating and attempting to rape a neighbour who attempted to intervene. Social workers never conducted a child welfare investigation.
Chief Corner Percy Kinney's report into Ayalik's triple-murder-suicide is now in the hands of Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik, Justice Minister Jack Anawak, and Social Services Minister Ed Picco. Kinney's report contains many sensible recommendations aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of violent offenders, while allowing them access to firearms when they need to go hunting.
The children's mother, who was estranged from her husband, was travelling out of town and didn't arrive back in the community until after the killings.

MURDERED

Allison Ayalik
ALLISON AYALIK
, aged 7, of Kuglugtuk, NU, was shot and killed on March 16, 1998.
Her step-father Steven Ayalik, shot her in the face as she slept.
He had every legal right to possess the weapon. When he had applied for a firearms acquisition permit in January of 1994, his wife and a social worker had signed a character reference for him.
For reasons that we will never understand, Ayalik did not murder a fourth child, a son who appeared at the doorway. Instead, he ordered the child to go to his grandmother's. By the time police arrived, Ayalik had used a fourth round to shoot himself in the head.
A subsequent coroner's investigation shows that those who had the legal and moral duty to protect the lives of the three innocent children who Ayalik murdered that night failed consistently to perform their duties.
For example:
In September, 1991, Ayalik picked up his infant son and threw him across a room. He was never convicted of the crime and social workers never conducted a child welfare investigation.
In September, 1994, Ayalik applied for an FAC, admitting on the form that he had been reported to the police for acts of violence in reference to the assault on his infant child. Despite that, a social worker signed a character reference on Ayalik's behalf.
In 1994, 1996, and 1997, Ayalik was convicted of beating his wife in front of his four children, and on one occasion of beating and attempting to rape a neighbour who attempted to intervene. Social workers never conducted a child welfare investigation.
Chief Corner Percy Kinney's report into Ayalik's triple-murder-suicide is now in the hands of Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik, Justice Minister Jack Anawak, and Social Services Minister Ed Picco. Kinney's report contains many sensible recommendations aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of violent offenders, while allowing them access to firearms when they need to go hunting.
The children's mother, who was estranged from her husband, was travelling out of town and didn't arrive back in the community until after the killings.

MURDERED

Kristy Ayalik
KRISTY AYALIK, aged 10 was shot in the chest and killed on May 31, 1998.
Kristy Ayalik, known throughout the community as "Maffa," was shot in the chest with a 22-calibre rifle in the mid-morning hours of May 31.
Her body, however, wasn't discovered until almost midnight close to the shoreline of the Kitikmeot community.
Kugluktuk RCMP reported that Ayalik and three other girls, who ranged in age from eight to 14, entered a small storage shack and removed at least two rifles. The "gas shack" is a storage area for gas cans and boating supplies.
As the girls played, one of the weapons, believed to be a 22-calibre rifle, discharged, firing a bullet into the chest of Ayalik, an RCMP press release stated. The other three girls fled the scene almost immediately and made no report to police.
Kugluktuk RCMP responded to a call of a body being found around 11 p.m. Sunday. Four members from RCMP headquarters in Yellowknife flew to Kugluktuk Monday to help three local officers in their investigation.
Following the discovery of the body, the 14-year-old companion was arrested. The girl was later released into the care of social services personnel.
She wasn't charged; however, RCMP are still investigating the shooting and will decide later if charges will be laid.
Ayalik's remains were sent to the University of Alberta hospital for an autopsy.
RCMP may also lay charges in relation to how the guns, which have been sent to a police laboratory in Edmonton for futher examination, were stored.
UNSOLVED

MURDERED

Lydia Emaruituk
LYDIA EMARUITUK of Puvirnituq NU died on June 13, 2003 after being assaulted by her son.
went to the family residence where his mother was with his sister. He had violent words with his mother and then he aggressed her physically," Mackels said.
The sister called the local KRPF detachment and when officers arrived on the scene they found the 66-year-old victim without any vital signs, apparently the victim of a cardiac arrest, Mackels said.
Crown prosecutors will not raise a charge of simple assault against Lazarusie Qaqutuk to a homicide charge, because of insufficient evidence.
Qaqutuk was arrested June 13 for assaulting his mother, Lydia Emaruituk. Shortly after the assault, Emaruituk died.
Christian Leblanc, crown prosecutor for the case, formally charged Qaqutuk with assault on June 16.
At the time, Leblanc said he might raise the charge to manslaughter or murder after he received an autopsy report and further details from a police investigation.
But a week later, Leblanc decided to keep the charge at simple assault, despite the short time between the two events, because the autopsy report did not link the assault to the subsequent death.
"It was more what the evidence wasn't. I would have needed more in order to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that he caused her death," Leblanc said.
"We know we charged him with an assault and we know she died. But in order to charge someone with murder I need to establish that there's a causality link between the two. I need to establish that with strong evidence and, in light of the information I received, I concluded with what I had, I could not authorize an additional charge."
Leblanc would not give additional details on the police investigation or the autopsy report. He would also not provide information on Emaruituk's cause of death, because the woman's health records remain confidential.
A murder charge carries a mandatory penalty of life imprisonment. If convicted of assault, Qaqutuk faces a maximum of five years in jail.
Qaqutuk was released, with certain conditions, on June 23. Leblanc said he believed Qaqutuk had returned to Puvirnituq.
UNSOLVED

MURDERED

Elisapi AssapaELISAPI ASSAPA, aged 31 of Puvirnituq, NU, was murdered on June 14, 2003
when regional police received a report that a dead woman was lying out on the street, the victim of a fatal gunshot to the head.
The investigation showed that
the
suspect had a verbal altercation with the victim. He left and then went inside to his place and grabbed a 12-gauge gun.
Elisapi Assapa, 31, was pronounced dead later that evening.
Levi Novalinga, 41, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Elisapi Assapa. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
UNSOLVED

MURDERED

Sarah Akavak
SARAH AKAVAK, was strangled to death by her common-law husband on February 10, 2000.
Sarah was described as a gentle, loving woman who addressed everyone, even strangers, with the same affectionate word - "aakuluk."
On April 10, Justice Mary Hetherington sentenced Kootoo
Korgak to life imprisonment, with no chance of parole for 12 years. The jury taook two hours to convict him of second-degree murder, rejecting a defence lawyer's argument that Korgak should be found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
Korgak, 35, has filed two notices of appeal with the Nunavut Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal, seeking either a new trial, or a reduction of his parole eligibility period to 10 years.
He alleges false arrest, insufficient evidence, inadequate attention paid to his level of intoxication, and that the jury failed to take into account how Akavak provoked him.
Korgak's handwritten appeal also says "the sentence was harsh and excessive and the [12 year] parole ineligibility period was not justified."
Akavak's five-year-old daughter was at home at the time of the murder. The girl now lives with family members in another Baffin Island community.
Korgak told police he killed his wife, but pleaded not guilty at trial.
Court records show that Korgak, a carver and volunteer at the John Howard Society, had a previous criminal record for assaulting Akavak.
Hetherington noted this record when handing down her sentence.
"I'm concerned that the killing of Ms. Akavak was part of a pattern of spousal abuse," Hetherington told the court. "I'm very much aware of the prevalence of spousal abuse in Nunavut [and] the sentence must be seen so as to denounce such conduct."
Judy Chan was one of two Crown prosecutors who handled the trial.
Although no longer on the case, Chan said re-filing a victim impact statement will have little or no effect unless the statement was a reason for the appeal.

T
MISSING
Charlene Catholique
CHARLENE CATHOLIQUE
, aged 15. DOB June 23, 1975. Height 165 cm, Weight 57 kg. Charlene has black
hair and brown eyes.Missing since July 18, 1990 from Snowdrift, Northwest
Territories Canada.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Charelene attended an assembly in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Canada on
July 20, 1990. The meeting ended two days later, on July 22, 1990. She
apparently traveled to Fort Rae, Northwest Territories at that time. She was
last seen hitchhiking at the intersection of Highway 3 and Rae Access Road.
She was wearing acid-washed jeans; a neon pink t-shirt; and a blue jacket with
white sleeves. Fort Resolution was stitched on the jacket. Charlene has never
been heard from again. Police suspect that foul play may be involved in her
disappearance.
Investigators:
If you have any information concerning Charlene's whereabouts, please contact
Royal Canadian Mounted Police at
403-920-8361 or 403-920-8357.
All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.
Source Information: The Garden Of Missing Children Society
UNSOLVED
MISSING
Elizabeth Kamookak and Jeremy Jacob
ELIZABETH KAMOOKAK AND JEREMY JACOB
, aged 13 and 11 from Gjoa Haven, NWT.
Disappearance Information:
The children were abducted by their non-custodial father, Randall Graham BERGEN
on January 1, 1999. Elizabeth may also go by the name of Gizmo BERGEN, she has
pierced ears and is a Canadian Native Inuit. Jeremy may also go by the name of
Tooto BERGEN and is also a Canadian Native Inuit. The father is balding.
INFORMATION: CONTACT Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Phone: 1-877-318-3576
UNSOLVED
MISSING
Heather Tuckatuck
HEATHER TUCKATUCK
, 23,of Kuujjuaraapik, NWT, disappeared on Dec. 24, 2001. She was last seen
near the airport in an intoxicated state.
Her family reported her disappearance to the Kativik Regional Police Force on
Dec. 28. Police and Rangers have been looking for the young woman in and around
the community and in Montreal, where she had been living until October, 2001.
"She might be under the snow, she might have fallen into the river or she might
have gone to Montreal,"
said KRPF Capt. Larry Hubert.
UNSOLVED
MURDERED
Jennifer Naglingniq
JENNIFER NAGLINGNIQ, aged 13. On Friday, Dec. 6, 2002, 13-year-old Jennifer
Naglingniq, of Iqaluit, Nunavut, helped her teacher hang Christmas decorations.
A few hours later she was dead, raped and murdered in her home. Her mother, CBC
Iqaluit program clerk Nicotye Naglingniq, found her body when she returned home
shortly after midnight.
Wende Tulk, Jennifer's home room teacher at Inuksuk high school, says Jennifer
was a special student - bright, with high marks and a natural leader.
"People listened to her. You know when she graduated she would be doing great
things."
She was an enthusiastic soccer player and just bought new soccer shoes the day
before she was killed.
Tulk will be haunted by Jennifer's dyed-orange ponytail, her beautiful voice
and her positive attitude.
"She was always singing, always happy."
She said that Jennifer - and her final act of helpfulness - won't be soon
forgotten.
"We're going to leave those Christmas decorations up all year now."
Mark King Jeffrey was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 14 years.
Please support the Jennifer Naglingniq Memorial Fund.
A memorial fund has been set up to create an annual award in Jennifer’s name
for a student at Inukshuk high school who contributes to making Iqaluit a
better place.
Donations can be made at the CBC Toronto Credit Union in the Jennifer
Naglingniq Memorial Fund account 9879 or through the Bank of Montreal in
Iqaluit, account 3635 8040 108.

MURDERED

Donna Kusugak
DONNA KUSUGAK, was strangeld to death in her Rankin Inlet home on March 9, 2003.
Allen Kabvitok of Whale Cove has been charged with her murder and awaits trial.

MURDERED

Oolayou Eyesiak
OOLAYOU EYESIAK, aged 51, and her son, Pootoogoo Eyesiak, 21, were murdered inside their Iqaluit home in November 1986. They were stabbed and disemboweled.
Oolayou's 19 year old daughter found the bodies.
Jopie Atsiqtaq, also known as Jopie Peter, was convicted of two counts of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prision with no chance of parole for 15 years.. He is serving his sentence in Alberta.

MURDERED

Mary Ann Birmingham
MARY ANN BIRMINGHAM, aged 16, of Iqaluit, was stabbed and killed in her home near the beach rowhouse area of Iqaluit in the spring of 1997.
Jopie Atsiqtaq, also known as Jopie Peter, was charged but after a preliminary inquiry, a territorial court judge concluded that there wasn't enough evidence to justify sending him to trial.
UNSOLVED

MURDERED

Betsy Kalaserk-Kirby
BETSY KALASERK-KIRBY,originally from Rankin Inlet, was found dead in her downtown Yellowknife, ground floor apartment. Her husband, Ian Adam Kirby was arrested by police and originally charged with second degree murder on Sept. 30, 2003, after Betsy's body was found.
During his preliminary hearing, the Crown withdrew the charge of second degree murder and replaced it with a charge of criminal negligence causing death. Territorial court Judge Brian Bruser also found there was enough evidence to commit Ian Adam Kirby, 59, to trial on manslaugher and failing to provide the necessities of life.
During Kirby's preliminary hearing , Crown attorney Loretta Colton withdrew the charge of second degree murder and replaced it with a charge of criminal negligence causing death.
Following the hearing , Territorial Court Judge Brian Bruser also found there was enough evidence to commit Kirby to trial on manslaughter and failing to provide the necessities of life. The latter section of the criminal code requires a man to provide things like shelter, food and medical care to his wife and children.
While Bruser committed Kirby to trial on the three counts, it's still up to the Crown's office whether or not they will pursue the charges.
"We'll review the evidence and make that decision in the coming weeks," said Colton, who had only asked for a committal on the charge of criminal negligence causing death.
Several members of Kalaserk-Kirby's family flew in from Rankin Inlet for the preliminary hearing, including her eight-year-old son and 17-year-old niece.
The courtroom was closed to the public when Kalaserk-Kirby's son took the stand.
Ultimately the youngster was unable to testify. A transcript of his video-taped statement to police was entered into evidence instead.
Kirby has been in police custody since he violated his bail conditions on November 29, 2003.
He was sentenced to 20 months in jail for his wife's murder.
To read some of the trial excerpts, click Here

MURDERED

Leanne Irkotee
LEANNE IRKOTEE, aged 22, of Rankin Inlet was murdered on April 23,2004.
“She was a really sweet person and not a threat to anyone, always kind and always decent and always trying her best. It’s a very sad thing, just a waste, a waste, a waste,” said one Rankin Inlet resident, who did not wish to be identified.
Police found a badly-injured Irkotee inside a Rankin Inlet residence around 7:30 a.m. on April 23, after getting a call from someone who said Irkotee needed medical attention.
They arrived with an ambulance and took the young woman to the Rankin Inlet health centre, where she was pronounced dead at about 10:15 am.
Later that day, her body was sent to Edmonton for an autopsy, but police have not released the exact cause of her death.
RCMP members from the major crimes unit in Iqaluit, and from forensic identification sections in Iqaluit and Edmonton are still at working on the case in Rankin Inlet.
Adrien VanEindhoven, 30, of Rankin Inlet, was arrested and charged with second degree murder .VanEindhoven’s first court appearance was scheduled for May 4, in Iqaluit. Updates will be added as available.

MURDERED

Rhoda Maghagak
RHODA MAGHAGAK,
aged 49, of Cambridge Bay NWT, was found murdered in her home by friends at around 12 noon on March 12, 2004.
After sending her body out for an autopsy, police now say they are treating the death as a "homicide."
The RCMP are releasing few details in the case, including the cause of death, and even the victim's identity, to comply with the Privacy Act. Nunatsiaq News confirmed the deceased person's name through other sources.
Const. Chris Coles, the RCMP's media relations officer in Nunavut, said RCMP members from Iqaluit have been sent to Cambridge Bay to help in the investigation.
UPDATE
Christopher Jame Allukpik, 24, was charged with first-degree murder.
CASES IN YUKON
MURDERED

Samara Olson
SAMARA OLSON, infant, shaken to death on August 15, 2004.
On that evening, Samara’s mother drank six ciders between 6 and 10 pm. At around 10:00 that night, Olson started to cry.
Ellis told the RCMP she felt frustrated when the baby started crying. She proceeded to slap and shake the child before covering her mouth and nose with a blanket, suffocating her.
According to autopsy results, however, the baby was badly beaten and died as a result of a skull fracture that caused bleeding in and on the brain.
After she had stopped breathing, Ellis put her body in a garbage bag and left it in a trash can outside of Klondike Kate’s Restaurant and Cabins in Dawson City.
She phoned the RCMP at around 1:55 a.m. to report Olson missing, telling police she’d left the child in a stroller outside of a local hotel. She said that Olson was gone when she came back outside.
A few hours later, however, she led police to Olson’s body.
Justina Ellis, 23, plead guilty to manslaughter for killing her child was sentenced to six years in a federal penitentiary, though she was given 30 months’ credit for time she has already spent in jail at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.
As a result, she will serve another 3 1/2 years.
Veale said there were a number of aggravating factors in the case, including the amount of violence involved in Olson’s death and Ellis’ history of serious child abuse.
He noted that she has been convicted of assaulting another woman and of stabbing the baby’s father, Tim Olson, in the leg.
Another factor that made the violent death very serious is that the victim was a child, the judge said.
“The killing of a child, not to mention one’s own child, is a very aggravating circumstance. Children are helpless and dependent entirely on the care and nurturing of their parents. This offence involved the violent abuse of a child and a most serious breach of trust,” Veale told the court.
“Children are the most helpless victims in our society and deserve the utmost protection.”
He added that it is important not to let the tragedy of the infant’s death unfairly influence Ellis’ sentence.
There are also many circumstances that reduce Ellis’ culpability, he said. These include pleading guilty, co-operating with police, her mental disorders and her difficult past.
Ellis has been diagnosed with both Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a result of exposure to alcohol before she was born, and Borderline Personality Disorder, often associated with women who suffer serious sexual abuse as children.
She suffered neglect as well as physical and sexual abuse throughout her childhood and described herself as “a full alcoholic” by the age of 12, according to court documents.
Ellis also began sniffing whiteout and gas and using marijuana as a child.
“In this case, those circumstances undoubtedly include the abuse that occurred to parents and relatives of Justina Ellis who attended residential schools,” he said.
“Although no evidence was led on that issue, the dysfunction from residential schools may be felt by following generations.”
Based on recommendations from Ellis’ probation officer, Veale recommended she be sent to the Fraser Valley Institute, a prison for women with mental health problems and disorders in Abbotsford, B.C.
He also strongly recommended that she attend a special kind of treatment called dialectical behaviour therapy, based on the testimony of a forensic psychiatrist who interviewed her.
This specialized treatment involves training for life skills as well as individual psychotherapy.
After she has completed her sentence, Ellis will likely return to the territory, Veale told the court. When she does, the territorial government will be responsible for providing her with long-term supervision and treatment, he said.
“If such a structured living environment is not provided, the evidence in this case is that the benefit of the initial years of treatment will be lost. That outcome would only compound this tragedy,” he said.
“There is no cure for Ms. Ellis. The protection of society will require long-term treatment and support for Justina Ellis.”

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