RCMP Report - Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the number of missing and murdered Native women tops prior estimates.

A review turned up 164 missing Native women and 1,017 homicide victims, for a total of 1,181. That number is nearly twice as high as the 600 commonly cited by the Native Women's Association of Canada and even higher than the nearly 900 cited by an independent researcher who conducted her own exhaustive search.

"This report concludes that the total number of murdered and missing Aboriginal females exceeds previous public estimates," the report stated. "This total significantly contributes to the RCMP’s understanding of this challenge, but it represents only a first step."

First Nations leaders and Native women have been calling for a national investigation into missing and murdered Native women. The report puts more pressure on Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has so far resisted an inquiry.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said he lacks authority to call an inquiry. He told CBC Radio that even he was surprised by the large number of cases.

Get the Story:
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Number of murdered, missing aboriginal women surprises top Mountie (CBC 5/17)
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Get the Report:
Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overvie (RCMP May 2014)