A funeral ceremony is celebrated this Sunday for a young woman murdered in Mile End in early November. Her death turns the world of sex workers in Quebec upside down.
“It is very sad and scary for us, the escorts,” told Press a young sex worker from Quebec, who asked to remain anonymous to protect herself, given the nature of her job.
On November 5, the body of a young woman was found in an apartment in Montreal’s Mile End. In another room, Daniel Schlapman, 31, was also found lifeless.
Read “Suspected Feminicide in Mile End: A Neighborhood in Shock”
Police investigation determined that the 25-year-old was stabbed before the man took his own life. On the night of November 4 to 5, Daniel Schlapman contacted the Fairmount Bagel bakery from the apartment where he was staying, which is a stone’s throw away. The employee dispatched on the spot had stopped on the doorstep at the sight of a first body, that of the young woman. It was a member of the Schlapman family, owner of Fairmount Bagel and the building where the crime had occurred, who then went to the scene before contacting emergency services.
Known for its violence
Daniel Schlapman was known to the world of prostitution in Montreal. “In the weeks preceding this murder, his behavior had [dégénéré]. He was more and more aggressive, violent, sometimes a little disconnected from reality, ”explains Sandra Wesley, Executive Director of Stella Montreal, a solidarity organization aimed at harnessing the power of sex workers. “There are women who had decided to stop seeing him, and shortly after, he committed this murder,” she laments.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Sandra Wesley, General Manager of Stella Montreal
The news rocked the world of sex work in the metropolis. “It’s very difficult for the community to see that and we feel very helpless in the face of this kind of situation,” continues Sandra Wesley. We have no leverage, no ability to act on this violence. And this violence is encouraged in all kinds of ways because society still does not recognize the rights of sex workers, ”she insists.
A double mourning
The young woman, originally from Quebec, was new to Montreal. His family was not aware of his activities. “For the family, sometimes, it’s like a second mourning. It’s like a shock, ”also explains Sandra Wesley, who has been in contact with the young woman’s family.
Press has decided not to disclose the name of the victim for the moment in order to respect the privacy of relatives. His funeral takes place this Sunday in his region of origin.
It would be the 18e feminicide in Quebec in 2021.
Recall that in January 2020, Marylène Lévesque was killed by Eustachio Gallese in a hotel in Quebec. He used his sexual services at the massage parlor where she worked. The coroner’s report made public on November 9 recommended the wearing of electronic geolocation bracelets for perpetrators of homicides on parole.
“This murder,” Sandra Wesley sums up, “is one more in a long series of murders and other violence that has taken place against sex workers.” ”
With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, Press