“We had a little visit at home. »
The one speaking is a 5 year old child. She arrived barely an hour ago, with her mother and brother, in a shelter for abused women. The “little visit” she mentions was from the police, who responded to an emergency call from the mother. To mimic the gestures made by her father, the little girl stamps her foot violently on the ground.
“And in your little heart, what was going on? », asks educator Jessie Trudel-Bernier. “I was sad,” replies Julia, whose first name we have obviously changed.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
The educators at La Dauphinelle use this “game” to make children understand that they have changed homes. Here, the house that the children left, with the little figure of the father, who remains there alone.
In the “game” brought by the educator, Julia first placed the little characters of her family in the house she had just left. Then, the educator asked him to put them back in his new home. Here at La Dauphinelle.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
A mural created by children in the organization’s playroom
“And Dad, he’s going to stay in the old house. That way, we’ll make sure that if he gets angry again, he’ll get angry on his own,” Jessie said, placing the little male figure back in the right place.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Two recruits take part in a meeting with Fabiola Thana, manager of the second stage accommodation house in La Dauphinelle.
The young 22-year-old police officer watches with fascination as the educator interacts with the little girl. The emotion is visible in his eyes. Two recruits from the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) spend the day at La Dauphinelle, to see what the police never see, who leave women victims of violence at the door of this type of resource.
The two young police officers then attend the reception interview of the mother, who is only a few years older than them. “It’s been bad for some time,” said the young woman. She left everything behind. She no longer has a place to live, minimal education, and no source of income.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Two SPVM recruits talk with a beneficiary who recently arrived at La Dauphinelle.
During the interview, his cell phone does not stop vibrating. The ex-partner keeps calling her. Sofia Sadaoui, a worker at home, immediately made him remove the geolocation function from the device. The residence is highly secure and its address confidential. Contacts with the father of the children are completely prohibited.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
A recruit helps a beneficiary settle in on the first floor of the establishment, where there is a second stage shelter.
In the morning, the two police officers were treated to the chilling life story of a victim of violence. At the end of the day, the two recruits are a little stunned. “Everything you experienced today really showed you who the victims are,” said Nevila Mane, service coordinator. The two girls thank her warmly. “It really opened our eyes to lots of things,” sums up one of them.
“It’s definitely going to help me.”
Two days later, the two young women told the other recruits about their experience. When talking about the little girl and her brother, dressed in pajamas lent by the organization because of the “bug protocol” in force there, the voice of the first police officer chokes. A moment later, she cried her eyes out as she continued her story. His partner, more reserved, is also on the verge of tears. She quickly leaves the room. She really doesn’t want to be seen crying.
This is because the two girls have just broken an unwritten rule in the police: avoid, as much as possible, showing your emotions. Stay in control, strong. In short, reliable.
I am very sorry. We stayed there all day. But the pajamas really came to me. You have two little ones and a mom in pajamas. You realize they have nothing left. They start from scratch. They are the ones who have to change schools.
An SPVM recruit who spent a day of immersion at the organization for abused women La Dauphinelle
After this feedback exercise, she asked us not to be identified.
“When you are in uniform, you have a barrier, when you are in civilian clothes, it affects more,” adds her colleague, who returned to the room after a moment, with red eyes. This 23-year-old young woman worked for six months in another police department in the region. “I’ve had plenty of cases of domestic violence, and I was completely disconnected. This day, it will definitely help me. Times a thousand. »
The progress made by this young recruit, in the space of a few days, is obvious. At the start of the week, listening to Nathalie Trottier testify to 25 years of domestic violence in front of the recruits, incomprehension could be seen on her face, as on that of several other recruits.
Mme Trottier told them his painful story for two hours. A quarter of a century where she was under the influence of her husband, whom she compares to a “cult guru”. Psychological, financial, sexual, physical violence. Three suicide attempts. And eight stays in a shelter before making the decision to leave.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Nathalie Trottier experienced domestic violence for 25 years. She shared her experience with SPVM recruits who are participating in the immersion program.
In 25 years, no one has ever called the police on me. I called 911 after 20 years of violence. I felt so guilty for calling the police and I was so afraid of their reaction that I downplayed it.
Nathalie Trottier, victim of domestic violence for 25 years
A strong feeling of helplessness
The 20 recruits have all seen the theory at CEGEP: the cycle of domestic violence, coercive control, they know these concepts. But in real life, the feeling of helplessness of young police officers, five of whom have already intervened in cases of domestic violence, is evident.
“It’s annoying, because women don’t want to file a complaint,” the young police officer said at the time, the day before her stay at La Dauphinelle. So we release them, and the men go back. Sometimes, for us… it’s draining. »
“Apart from releasing the attacker with conditions, there is nothing we can do, so we release him. That same evening, he returned home! And sometimes, it’s the woman herself who calls him to come back! », added Olivier, who worked for four years for the Sûreté du Québec. Carolane summed up the general feeling in a few words. “It remains difficult to understand. »
In 2022, the SPVM responded to nearly 13,000 calls relating to domestic violence. Domestic violence represented a quarter of all crimes against the person that year. This shows to what extent these young police officers will regularly be in front of victims like Nathalie Trottier.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Journalist Nancy Audet, who recounted her childhood alongside neglectful and violent parents and is today godmother of the DPJ Youth Foundation, came to speak about her experience to SPVM recruits who participate in the immersion program.
And in front of their children who, too, may have been mistreated. Journalist Nancy Audet is one of these child victims of violence. She had a message for the recruits. “You will meet a lot of people with my background in the coming years. There are a lot more than we think. For you, it’s one more intervention, but the young person will remember it for the rest of his days. What do you want to leave him? »
In 2012, during her move, which marked a permanent separation from her tormentor, Nathalie Trottier called the police. “I wanted to be accompanied. » On the appointed day, they were there. They “secured” the apartment, to be sure that the violent spouse was not present. And after, relates Mme Trottier, they were ready to go. She objected. “But when you leave, he’ll definitely come!” » The police were doubtful.
The woman pleaded her ex-partner’s links with organized crime. The argument carried through, the police ultimately stayed. And in fact, despite a contact ban, the ex-partner continued to call him that day and would have arrived on site, without the police presence.
“That day, if I didn’t insist that the police stay, I’m sure I would be on the front page of the newspapers. Because there were quite a few red flags! »