The coroner’s office will hold a public inquiry into the death of Raphaël André, a 51-year-old indigenous native who was homeless and died of cold in January 2021 in a chemical toilet at the intersection of du Parc and Milton streets, in Montreal.
The death of the man everyone knew as Napa shocked Quebec. In fact, he has become, despite himself, the symbol of the lack of resources for the homeless. Napa was a regular at the Open Door shelter, which usually offered a warm overnight stop in the basement of a church, but the shelter had to close overnight due to COVID-19. A heated tent for homeless people, erected in Cabot Square in the following months, bore his name.
The chief coroner may order a public hearing if he considers that the public would benefit from hearing the information presented to the coroner or if he believes it would be useful to question under oath, during a public hearing, persons who can provide information. important information for the investigation.
The hearings will be held from May 13 to 24 then from June 3 to 14, 2024 in Longueuil, under the presidency of Coroner Me Stéphanie Gamache.
To watch on video