It will be a year since the body of a woman who set herself on fire was thrown in the garbage after firefighters mistook her for a dummy.
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Since then, the family has had no news and is still trying to understand what happened. Céline Therrien, one of his sisters, deplores being kept in the dark.
On July 23, 2021, in the morning, Laurette Therrien killed herself in tragic circumstances. The drama took place in front of the AMF plant in Sherbrooke, in a small wooded area. They were employees of the place who had contacted the emergency services after seeing smoke.
Called to intervene to put out the blaze, Sherbrooke firefighters then confused the woman’s body with that of a plastic mannequin. They threw it in the Service de police de Sherbrooke (SPS) garbage container.
It was following a report for a disappearance that the SPS made the link between the model found and the lady. More than eight hours had passed when the authorities made the macabre discovery, in the garbage.
An unforgivable gesture according to Céline Therrien. She also regrets that neither the city of Sherbrooke, nor the police authorities or the firefighters have apologized to the family for the unnamed tragedy that she was experiencing.
Coroner’s report awaited
Gabrielle Therrien, another sister of the victim, confirms that the report of coroner Me Richard Drapeau is finished, but that its publication will not take place for a few weeks. Until then, she prefers to grieve in private.
In Sherbrooke, last year, the City opened an internal investigation, for which we still have no news. At the time, the City and the firefighters’ union offered psychological support to employees affected by the events.
Remember that the Bureau of Independent Investigations did not look into this operation, since it did not fall within its jurisdiction, but rather that of the Police Ethics Commissioner.