The family of Daphné Huard-Boudreault, this young woman murdered by her harassing ex-husband in 2017, is suing the Richelieu Saint-Laurent intermunicipal police board for $1 million. The family accuses the police of having “directly” caused the death of their daughter through their numerous faults.
The murder of the 18-year-old woman shocked Quebec at the time. Daphné Huard-Boudreault had been stabbed to death by her jealous ex-boyfriend, just hours after calling 911 to report him. The police intervened without arresting the future murderer. Anthony Pratte-Lops has since been sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole for 18 years.
After their breakup a few days earlier, Anthony Pratte-Lops tracks down his ex-girlfriend day and night to find her. On the morning of March 22, 2017, he finds her, hides inside her car and refuses to come out. Daphné Huard-Boudreault then resigned herself to going to work anyway, a convenience store in Otterburn Park. The man takes the opportunity to steal his ex-girlfriend’s cell phone.
On the spot, Daphné Huard-Boudreault calls 911, since her ex-boyfriend is still waiting for her in front of the business. “It’s not the first time he’s acted this way and been unstable in his head,” she told 911.
PHOTO ARCHIVES PRESS
Anthony Pratte-Lops
Four officers from the Richelieu-Saint-Laurent intermunicipal police board arrived on site. Some police officers see Anthony Pratte-Lops giving the middle fingers to the business and insulting his ex-girlfriend out loud. When she asks to go get her things back from their old apartment, Anthony Pratte-Lops accepts, but refuses to let her be accompanied by the police. He is not arrested at this time.
With her ex-girlfriend’s cell phone in hand, Pratte-Lops discovers that she has a new lover. He publishes a venomous video online towards the young woman. A little later in the day, Daphné Huard-Boudreault returns to their apartment to look for her phone, followed by a policewoman in another car. The murderer was waiting for him. His throat was already cut when the policewoman arrived, a few seconds later.
At the police ethics trial in 2022, the family learned that the officers had not properly applied the Directive for domestic violence, on the pretext that Daphné Huard-Boudreault had no “apparent injuries”. However, it is a decisive fault, according to the lawyers of the family, Ms.e Virginie Dufresne-Lemire and M.e Imane Melab.
” THE [policiers] erred in requiring that actual threats or physical harm to the victim be necessary to trigger the application of the domestic violence guidelines. These additional requirements resulted in a narrowing of the scope of domestic violence guidelines and directly contributed to Daphne’s tragic fate,” argue the family’s lawyers.
In addition, senior Régie officials were “aware of the misinterpretation and misapplication of domestic violence guidelines,” the lawsuit says.
According to the victim’s family, the Régie police officers did not take into account many crucial factors during the intervention, including the break-in to the vehicle, the unwanted presence of the ex-spouse at the business , the insults launched by the latter, the theft of the cell phone and the context of a breakup.
“They failed to lay charges against Mr. Pratte and despite Daphne’s wishes, despite their finding that criminal acts had been perpetrated by the latter,” the motion continues.
“Daphne’s case illustrates some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding domestic violence. Through this lawsuit, Daphne’s family wishes to receive compensation for the damages suffered and to help shed light on the reality of domestic violence,” said Ms.e Dufresne-Lemire in a press release.
The lawyers are claiming $1 million in damages for the family members because of the post-traumatic shock they suffered and their “particularly high” sequelae.