NL

Woman held naked in Labrador lockup, interpreter says

A court interpreter in Labrador says an Inuit woman was held naked this fall at the RCMP lockup in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

A court interpreter in Labrador says an Inuit woman was held naked this fall at the RCMP lockup in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Emily Jararuse, 41, spent four days in September at the police lockup waiting to make a court appearance for mischief, break and enter, assault and weapons charges.

Interpreter Mary Adams said she was shocked during a meeting with Jararuse and her lawyer, when Jararuse entered the police interview room naked except for a blanket wrapped over her shoulders.

"We should not be doing this," Adams said."I'm an Inuk. I'm an elder. I've seen abuse all my life, and this was a very bad case of abuse."

The RCMP said Jararuse was tearing her own clothes off, and was threatening to harm herself. Adams said if that's true, Jararuse shouldn't have remained in a police cell.

The Labrador health centre does have a secure room for mentally distressed prisoners, but hospital officials said the room was occupied when Jararuse wasin the police lockup.

The provincial government promised to expand secure facilities this year after a similar incident with another women from Nain who was held in a cell without clothing for three days. Police apologized in January, but nothing has changed, Adams said.

"I watched things for over40 years, people saying that this won't happen anymore. We remember it for about six months or so, and then we go back to the same thing."

In June, the citizens' representative called for a new prison for women in Labrador, but the province hasn't responded.