OTTAWA - A newly released document shows the Mounties developed a review process to run alongside the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
A heavily redacted memo prepared for the deputy minister of justice shows the RCMP pitched the idea of a "parallel review process" to support the national inquiry into the death or disappearance of nearly 1,200 indigenous women and girls.
A senior official with direct knowledge of the proposal says it was intended to allow the inquiry to focus on the underlying socio-economic issues without getting bogged down in individual cases.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the rationale was that the RCMP had the resources available to delve into specific allegations and files, and could assist the inquiry in tracking down answers.
The memo, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, notes the fragility of the relationship between police and many of the families of the victims, saying "there is a significant need to address the restoration of trust."
Some advocates had called for a parallel process to review individual cases where families believed there was something wrong with the initial investigation but stressed that the RCMP not be the one to lead it.
