NDP calls on Ottawa to dismiss extradition of Quebec single mother
CBC News | Posted: December 18, 2015 12:43 AM | Last Updated: December 18, 2015
SCOC ruled last week the Canadian citizen, known as ‘M’, can be extradited to U.S. to face charges
The federal NDP is calling on Ottawa to intervene after Canada's top court ruled that a single mother in Quebec can be extradited to the United States.
"In keeping with the government's commitment to helping women and children fleeing violence at home, the Minister of Justice should stop the extradition of a single mom to Georgia," said a statement released Thursday by the NDP.
Jenny Kwan, the party's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship critic, wrote a letter to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.
"I urge you, Minister, to act with compassion towards these children and exercise your prerogative to dismiss the extradition," Kwan's letter said.
Her plea comes almost one week after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the woman, who is a Canadian citizen and referred to in court documents as "M", can be extradited to the state of Georgia to face charges of interstate interference with a custody order.
- Supreme Court rules to extradite Quebec woman accused of kidnapping own children
- Court expected to rule in US extradition case on Friday
- Woman accused of kidnapping her children to be extradited to U.S.
She is accused of kidnapping her three children in 2010 while they were in the sole custody of their father and bringing them to Canada.
The children, who were 14, 10 and 9 at the time, told Quebec child protection officials that they ran away on their own, because their father beat them and left them unattended for long periods of time.
The children also said they spent several days sleeping on the floor of an abandoned garage, before an older sister drove them to meet their mother, who was living in a Quebec shelter for abused women.
The mother has been fighting her extradition since 2010.
Complicating matters further, a Quebec judge granted "M" full custody of her children — a decision that has not since been challenged by their father.
"Extraditing "M" seems to completely ignore the wellbeing of her children and take their mother away from them for the simple reason that she was willing to protect them when they needed her help," Kwan said in her letter.
"M" remains in custody, pending her extradition. Two of her children are still minors and living in their mother's home in the Eastern Townships, along with their grandmother.