Quebec authorities are currently investigating the fifth suspected femicide in the region this year, following the tragic discovery of a deceased woman in Manawan, located nearly 250 kilometers north of Montreal.
Responding to a distress call on a Sunday afternoon, police arrived at an apartment where the bodies of a 39-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man were found.
The Sûreté du Québec has taken charge of the investigation, indicating a likely case of domestic violence that appears to have culminated in a murder-suicide.
Expressing deep concern, Na’kuset, the Executive Director for the Native Women’s Shelter Montreal, lamented the ongoing suffering within the community due to such incidents.
This incident marks the fifth suspected femicide in Quebec this year, with the second case involving an Indigenous woman. Shockingly, Quebec has already recorded four femicides in 2026 within the first month.
Highlighting the need for community support, Na’kuset emphasized that this serves as a crucial wake-up call for everyone.
The string of tragedies began on New Year’s Day when a 31-year-old woman, Tadjan’ah Desir, was allegedly pushed from a third-floor balcony by her ex-partner in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
Just four days later, on Jan. 5, another heartbreaking incident occurred in Puvirnituq, where a 54-year-old woman named Mary Iqiquq Tukalak was allegedly slain by her partner in what was believed to be a murder-suicide, marking the first Indigenous woman lost to violence that year.
Na’kuset underscored the systemic discrimination that plagues Indigenous communities and the urgent need for recognition and action.
In a subsequent incident on Jan. 11 in Quebec City, the death of 44-year-old Susana Rocha Cruz was confirmed as a homicide, leading to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the case.
Tragically, on Jan. 18, another woman, Véronic Champagne, passed away in hospital after sustaining serious injuries during an altercation in Rougemont, underscoring the urgency of addressing gender-based violence.
