{"id":12648,"date":"2020-06-03T08:52:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T12:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leaf.ca\/?p=12648"},"modified":"2020-12-09T10:22:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T15:22:21","slug":"regiskorchinskipaquet","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.leaf.ca\/fr\/news\/regiskorchinskipaquet\/","title":{"rendered":"LEAF\u00a0statement\u00a0in\u00a0solidarity with\u00a0Regis\u00a0Korchinski-Paquet\u00a0and her family\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LEAF mourns<\/span> <\/span>the death of Regis <\/span>Korchinski<\/span>-Paquet, a<\/span>n Afro-Indigenous<\/span> <\/span>woman who died after the police <\/span>were <\/span>called to assist <\/span>when she was <\/span>in distress<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>Like so many around the world, <\/span>w<\/span>e are also mourning the recent deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, and <\/span>Ahmaud<\/span> <\/span>A<\/span>rb<\/span>e<\/span>r<\/span>y<\/span> in the United States. <\/span>Such senseless and tragic deaths are not unique to the United States, however.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we do not <\/span>yet <\/span>know all the circumstances surrounding <\/span>Korchinski<\/span>-Paquet’s <\/span>death<\/span>, <\/span>it<\/span> <\/span>occurred in the context of<\/span> <\/span>historical and ongoing<\/span> police violence against the Black community<\/span> in Canada<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>A 2018 Ontario Human Rights Commission report<\/span><\/a> <\/span>found<\/span> that<\/span>, in Toronto, <\/span>a Black person<\/span> <\/span>is 11 times more likely than a white person<\/span> to <\/span>b<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>i<\/span>n<\/span>v<\/span>o<\/span>l<\/span>v<\/span>e<\/span>d<\/span> in a <\/span>police<\/span> <\/span>use<\/span> <\/span>o<\/span>f<\/span> <\/span>f<\/span>o<\/span>r<\/span>c<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>c<\/span>a<\/span>s<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>t<\/span>h<\/span>a<\/span>t<\/span> <\/span>l<\/span>e<\/span>d<\/span> <\/span>t<\/span>o<\/span> <\/span>a <\/span>c<\/span>i<\/span>v<\/span>i<\/span>l<\/span>i<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span> <\/span>d<\/span>e<\/span>a<\/span>t<\/span>h<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>Black people are <\/span>also <\/span>disproportionately represented<\/span> in<\/span> <\/span>Ontario\u2019s <\/span>Special Investigations Unit<\/span> (SIU)\u2019s<\/span> use of force cases where mental health issues <\/span>have been<\/span> identified<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regis <\/span>Korchinski<\/span>-Paquet’s<\/span> death is a<\/span>n intersectional<\/span> feminist <\/span>issue.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Regis <\/span>Korchinski<\/span>-Paquet’s<\/span> death is a<\/span>n intersectional<\/span> feminist <\/span>issue. <\/span>All w<\/span>omen <\/span>have the <\/span>right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law<\/span>, and police <\/span>must<\/span> respect equality rights in the exercise of their duties. <\/span>Yet, <\/span>as <\/span>Rob<\/span>y<\/span>n Maynard has highlighted<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>police disproportionate<\/span>ly surveil Black women across Canada<\/span>. Police <\/span>violence against Black women is a<\/span> longstanding problem<\/span> <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>one<\/span> <\/span>that deserves more discussion and solidarity from the feminist community. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The police response to <\/span>mental <\/span>distress<\/span> calls<\/span> <\/span>in Black communities <\/span>may be<\/span> another disturbing part<\/span> <\/span>of<\/span> <\/span>Korchinski<\/span>-Paquet<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s<\/span> death<\/span>. This element <\/span>is <\/span>being <\/span>highlighted by her family<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/span>The chronic underfunding of mental health resources, <\/span>particularly in <\/span>Black<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Indigenous<\/span><\/a> communities<\/span>, leaves society relying on police to handle mental distress calls. <\/span>Too often, this has <\/span>fatal consequences for Black and Indigenous communities, <\/span>due in no small part to <\/span>the law\u2019s colonial and racist legacy.  <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canadian law is not a neutral instrument. As a product of colonialism, it has reproduced the legacy of racism, sexism, ableism, and other oppressive structures. Although much work has been done to reform the law\u2019s oppressive roots, it is far from complete. The application of our laws <\/span>continues to perpetuate <\/span>colonial, racist, and sexist bias, leading to the marginalization and fatality of Black and Indigenous women.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More generally, we know that <\/span>r<\/span>acism has<\/span> <\/span>significant and devastating consequences for mental health<\/span><\/a>, including trauma and mental distress<\/span>. <\/span>As<\/span> <\/span>Dr. Kwame McKenzie observes<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> members of the Black community are not only more likely to face challenges linked to <\/span>worse mental health outcomes for all individuals, such as unemployment, poverty, and criminalization – t<\/span>hey also face unique challenges stemming from pervasive racism<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>Further,<\/span> <\/span>as <\/span>discussed <\/span>by<\/span> <\/span>Notisha<\/span> Massaquoi<\/span> at a recent<\/span> <\/span>panel discussion<\/span><\/a> <\/span>on racism and mental health,<\/span> <\/span>the stereotype of the \u201cstrong Black woman\u201d means that it is often expected <\/span>that Black women will carry <\/span>all of<\/span> their burdens, and fight back against them, too. <\/span>This stereotype<\/span> <\/span>invisibilizes<\/span> the mental health struggles that Black <\/span>women face and<\/span> <\/span>detrimentally impacts<\/span> the <\/span>healthcare and pain management <\/span>options<\/span> they receive. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an organization dedicated to the equality rights of women, girls, and all who face gender-based discrimination, <\/span>LEAF<\/span> <\/span>call<\/span>s<\/span> <\/span>for<\/span> the following:<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n