New Report Documents Increase In Stolen Sisters

New Report Documents Increase In Stolen Sisters

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 15:04

A new report on missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada indicates several more cases have emerged over the last year.

When the Native Women’s Association of Canada released a similar study at this time last year, there were 520 cases of missing or murdered Aboriginal women in the country.

According to the new report released today called “What Their Stories Tell Us”, that number is now 582.

NWAC says one of the most important findings is that Aboriginal women and girls are as likely to be killed by a stranger or acquaintance as they are by an intimate partner — which is very different than non-Aboriginal women who are most likely to be killed by a partner.

The study has also found that 53 per cent of cases where an Aboriginal woman has been murdered have resulted in a charge, compared to a rate of 84 per cent for the overall population.

However, the report notes 78 per cent of homicide cases in Saskatchewan involving an Aboriginal woman result in a charge — the most of any province.

NWAC says that statistic is relatively high by comparison to other provinces, and it “suggests we need to look closer at what Saskatchewan is doing right”.