A Quebec racial profiling case, now dragging on for nearly a decade, remains unresolved as the complainant, Emmanuel Abraham, continues to wait for justice. The incident dates back to December 2014, when Abraham, a Black man, was stopped by Terrebonne police officer Constable Stéphanie Lemay-Terriault while driving in the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne. At the time, Abraham was just 18 and had been returning to his mother’s house in Montreal after visiting his father in Terrebonne.
During the traffic stop, Constable Lemay-Terriault informed Abraham that she had run his license plate, which indicated that the car was registered in Montréal-Nord. She questioned why he was in Terrebonne and proceeded to issue him a ticket, citing that his registration paper was crumpled and illegible. Abraham, who felt he had been stopped due to his race, contested the ticket and filed a racial profiling complaint with Quebec’s police ethics commissioner.
What followed was a long and complicated legal journey. It took more than five years for the case to even reach the Quebec police ethics tribunal. In 2020, the tribunal ruled that the traffic stop was justified and rejected the claim of racial profiling. Abraham, believing his case had ended there, was unaware that the legal battle was far from over. It wasn’t until CBC News contacted him that he learned the tribunal’s decision had gone through several appeals.
In 2021, the Quebec Court overturned the tribunal’s initial ruling after an appeal by the police ethics commissioner. The court found that Abraham had been stopped “consciously or unconsciously” due to his race or color. This decision marked a significant turning point in the case, yet it was still not over. Officer Lemay-Terriault appealed the decision, and her appeal was rejected just last month.
Despite the rejection of her appeal, Lemay-Terriault has another 30 days to file a final appeal. If no notice of appeal is filed within that time frame, the next step will be a hearing to determine sanctions. Abraham, now 28 and working as a nurse, has grown increasingly frustrated with the system. “Ten years is just too long. It feels like they don’t care about what happened,” he said.
Abraham’s case is just one example of the challenges faced by those who file racial profiling complaints in Quebec. Critics say that the lengthy and complicated complaint process dissuades many from coming forward. Few cases of racial profiling ever make it to Quebec’s police ethics tribunal, and even fewer result in police officers being disciplined. Between 2017 and 2022, only 11 complaints led to a hearing at the administrative tribunal, and just four of those cases resulted in sanctions for the officers involved.
Fo Niemi, a civil rights advocate and the executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), has been a vocal critic of the slow-moving complaint process. “These delays are discouraging for a lot of people, especially in cases involving racial profiling,” said Niemi. “Police officers and departments are reluctant to lose these cases, and the process drags on, which can feel like the system is set up to protect officers rather than the victims.”
Niemi also pointed out that in many cases, the complainants themselves can become “forgotten” during the appeals process. “Once the appeals start, the citizen who filed the complaint is often left out of the loop,” said Niemi. “It becomes a back-and-forth between the police and the courts, and the person who initiated the complaint is nowhere to be found in the proceedings.”
The police ethics commissioner’s office has acknowledged the lengthy process and stated that it strives to handle complaints as efficiently as possible. According to the commissioner’s latest report, complaints related to racism, discrimination, or racial profiling increased by 20 percent between 2023 and 2024. However, despite the growing number of complaints, disciplinary actions remain rare. Many cases are settled through conciliation, while others are tied up in legal proceedings for years, as seen in Abraham’s case.
The issue of racial profiling has become a significant point of concern in Quebec, with several high-profile cases bringing the problem to the forefront. CBC News previously investigated the lack of discipline for officers involved in racial profiling cases, highlighting the need for systemic change. In Abraham’s case, the officer involved has continued to work with Terrebonne police, and it is unclear whether she has received any additional training to address issues like unconscious racial bias.
Abraham’s frustration with the drawn-out process is palpable. “I just feel disappointed. I don’t know if she’s learned anything or if she’s being held accountable. The system is designed to protect them, not people like me.” Despite his frustrations, Abraham remains hopeful that his case will eventually lead to some form of justice.
For civil rights advocates like Niemi, Abraham’s case serves as a reminder of the long road ahead for those seeking accountability in cases of racial profiling. “We always encourage people to stay the course and not give up, because that’s the only way to bring about change,” said Niemi. “But it’s clear that the system needs to do more to support the complainants and ensure justice is served.”
Source:Swifteradio.com
