The government orders a public inquiry into the deaths of Romy and Norah Carpentier, killed by their father, Martin, in July 2020. The decision follows the broadcast of a report of investigation alleging numerous bungling by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) during the search.
The coroner’s office had announced the relaunch of its investigation on Monday following new information obtained after the broadcast of the report. The coroner in charge of the file, Me Sophie Régnière, did not rule out ordering the holding of a public inquiry if new elements justified it.
The Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, did not wait for the conclusions of this “additional investigation” to trigger the public inquiry.
“Considering the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Norah and Romy Carpentier as well as their father, Martin Carpentier, the holding of a public inquiry will, I hope, shed light on this terrible tragedy”, indicates the vice – Prime Minister by press release.
During a public inquest, the coroner gathers facts and relevant information during public hearings that usually take place at the courthouse. “Witnesses and experts come to testify before the coroner who presides over the inquest,” specifies the coroner’s office.
The SQ maintains that it has done everything possible to find the girls and their father during the two weeks of research carried out in a thick wooded area of Saint-Apollinaire.
The police force had however suffered criticism from Me Régnière in November during the presentation of his investigation report. The coroner questioned in particular the delay that preceded the triggering of an Amber alert, which occurred 18 hours after the disappearance of the two sisters, aged 11 and 6, following a swerve that occurred on Highway 20 at the height of Saint Apollinaire.
On March 10, Investigation reported the testimonies of police officers critical of the search operations. The latter denounced the dismantling of a unit specializing in terrestrial research, a few years before the Carpentier tragedy. They also denounced erratic decisions taken on the ground and which, according to them, would have deprived the teams of precious hours to find the missing.