The death of young Yanis Seghouani near the hideout of a Hells Angels school club worries many parents from the North African community in Montreal and several stakeholders. Some are calling for a commission of inquiry which would look into the phenomenon of recruitment of certain young people.
More than a hundred Quebec parents of North African origin gathered Saturday at Wilfrid-Bastien Park in the Saint-Léonard sector. They denounce the influence of the criminal environment on adolescents, particularly those from their community. Some are losing their bearings, lacking positive models and feeling stuck between two cultures, several speakers mentioned at the gathering.
Saida Louglaithi, mother of two boys aged 5 and 12, listened attentively to the speeches of elected officials and speakers Saturday afternoon. “I am here out of fear and concern for my teenager. With everything that’s happening, I’m afraid he’ll be recruited,” she confides. His heart aches every time a young person dies from bullets. More and more often, these are young Quebecers of Arab origin, she notes. “I wonder if we are targeting our boys in particular. What should I do to prevent this? My children have never done anything, but I don’t feel safe from it happening to them. »
Same story for Hanane, who lives in Saint-Léonard. She is very close to her children and relies on dialogue. They have already told him that they were approached at the park for fraud or car theft.
I find that unfortunate. Because of that, I opted for a private school and not the local one. I want to keep them away from that.
Hanane, mother living in Saint-Léonard
These mothers are not the only ones to fear that their child will fall into the sights of a street gang or organized crime. Today, parents and caregivers have clearly had enough. Enough of organized crime and street gangs, who make teenagers who have their lives ahead of them do their dirty work. Enough of the stray bullets and violence that await their children in parks or on social networks. Enough of the criminal contracts aimed at young people distributed on Snapchat or other platforms.
PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM
Yanis Seghouani
Yanis Seghouani, a Montrealer of Algerian origin, lost his life on September 17 in circumstances that remain unclear. According to police sources, the 14-year-old victim recruited by a street gang from Saint-Léonard died while attacking a Hells Angels premises in Frampton, in Beauce. The teenager’s body showed signs of burns. However, the authorities are opening the door to other hypotheses, including improper handling of a firearm.
“And now what do we do?” Are we going to wait for the next victims who will fall under the bullets? », indignant Mohamed Mimoun, coordinator and mobilization agent at the Saint-Michel Youth Forum. Each time a tragedy occurs, everyone has their own hypotheses: bad company, unstable family environment, lack of support… We must now look at the issue of street gang recruitment, he argues.
PHOTO DENIS GERMAIN, THE PRESS
Me Nazar Saaty holds up the photo of Samy Alioueche, shot dead last year in Saint-Léonard.
We are asking for a commission of inquiry to address the subject of recruitment and how they end up with a weapon in their hands.
Me Nazar Saaty
Everyone’s problem
Crime is everyone’s problem. No family is safe from the consequences of armed violence, insists Me Nazar Saaty, volunteer at the Association of Muslim Burial in Quebec. “Even if your son is not involved in crime, he could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. »
This was the case of Samy Alioueche, 19, who was shot dead last November. The young man from Saint-Léonard was a pillar in his community, explained his sister Zahia in a vibrant speech describing her late brother, a future ambulance driver who was far from being a bandit.
PHOTO DENIS GERMAIN, THE PRESS
Zahia Alioueche, the sister of Samy Alioueche, accompanied by her parents, spoke.
He was a loyal, generous and honest person. His last gesture was to give money to children in Palestine.
Zahia, Samy Alioueche’s sister
The parents of adolescents at risk have their role to play, but they should not be blamed, insists Narjiss El Moudnib, coach for young people in difficulty. Many suspect nothing and more solutions and support must be provided to families. “We are not here to put you on trial. It can hit anyone,” explained the speaker on the microphone.
“I personally send my message to the gangs: it is shameful to use children for your dirty work. […] It’s enough to see our children massacred every time. The parents no longer know what to do, because it is stronger than them,” declared Hadjira Belkacem, president of the Association of Muslim Burial of Quebec (ASMQ), which organized Saturday’s event.