Joyce Echaquan’s family is suing the Joliette hospital, a doctor and nurse who insulted the Attikamek woman shortly before her death, for $2.7 million.
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“It’s difficult to live with this today, but we want justice to be done for my daughter, for Joyce,” said Joyce Echaquan’s mother, Diane Dubé, in Attikamek.
In a civil lawsuit filed yesterday at the Joliette courthouse, Joyce Echaquan’s immediate family is claiming $2,155,000 in damages from the Lanaudière Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) and Dr. Jasmine Thanh.
On September 28, 2020, her death had caused a real shock wave after the publication of a live video on Facebook where she was dying on her hospital bed while being insulted by two employees of the Lanaudière Hospital Center.
Discrimination
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
The family of Joyce Echaquan, mother of seven children, is also claiming $500,000 in punitive damages from the CISSS de Lanaudière.
He had been made aware, during the Viens commission on relations between Aboriginal peoples and certain public services in Quebec, of the discrimination suffered by members of the community of Manawan, where Joyce Echaquan lived.
However, no concrete action has been taken to resolve the problem since, according to the lawsuit.
“There is nothing that justifies the inaction of the CISSS de Lanaudière,” mentioned Ms.e Patrick Martin-Ménard, the family lawyer, at a press conference yesterday.
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
Nurse Paule Rocray, who had made racist remarks in the minutes preceding the death of Mme Echaquan, is being sued for $20,000.
Anger and pain
Her husband, Carol Dubé, would have suffered significant psychological damage in connection with the death of his wife, according to the lawsuit.
Since then, “he feels a lot of anger, great sadness as well as significant pain, suffering”, can we read.
Joyce Echaquan’s father, Michel Echaquan, is said to have died last June, “due to the deterioration of his health condition caused by the pain, suffering and inconvenience he experienced due to the death of his daughter” .
The day after the second anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death, her family members called on Prime Minister François Legault to recognize systemic racism.
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
Me Patrick Martin-Ménard behind Carol Dubé, spouse of Joyce Echaquan, during a press conference yesterday.
“I had invited Mr. Legault to the commemoration day. Instead, he sent me a letter,” mentioned Carol Dubé.
“We ask that the Prime Minister make an effort on his side not to forget Joyce,” continued Diane Dubé.
“I ask him for proof that systemic racism does not exist. […] There are hundreds of testimonials that cannot be ignored. The things that should have changed have not changed,” concluded Mr. Dubé.