Around 1,200 indigenous women and girls have been murdered or are missing in Canada since the 1950s, says the country’s federal police.
On Friday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) released a long-awaited report, which included data gathered by policing agencies across Canada.
According to the report, aboriginal females account for 16 percent of female homicides and 11.3 percent of missing women.
The figure is three to four times higher than the representation of indigenous females, which is 4.3 percent, or 1.5 million.
«This research has done more than just provide numbers… It has identified key vulnerability factors for the victims as well as valuable information on the perpetrators,» said RCMP deputy commissioner Janice Armstrong.
«With this additional information, police and our partners can better focus prevention initiatives in high-risk communities to help reduce violence against aboriginal women and girls,» Armstrong claimed.
The report identified 1,181 murdered or missing aboriginal women since 1952, of which 120 homicides and 105 missing cases remained without a result.
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come under criticism for widespread violation of the rights of the country’s indigenous people.
A recent study by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives says almost 50 percent of indigenous children in Canada are living in poverty — three times more than the national average.
In a report released on December 19, 2012, rights group Amnesty International called on the Canadian government to address human rights abuses in the country, particularly with respect to the rights of indigenous peoples.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/05/17/362942/canada-native-females-killed-or-missing/
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