The time between Ianik Lamontagne’s arrest, two days before he killed his two children on Saturday, was so short that no prosecutor has yet been able to review his case to determine whether charges should be brought against the man.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
“The DPCP has no information regarding this event,” spokeswoman for Quebec Director of Laws and Law Enforcement (DPCP) Me Audrey Roy-Cloutier replied Monday.
On Sunday, police sources said that two days before the tragedy, following a complaint about molestation by his ex-spouse, police visited Mr Lamontagne near their home, arrested him and then released him.
The officers then found one or more GPS devices under the woman’s car. Ianik Lamontagne, owner of a company specializing in computer cybersecurity, would also have used technical means to spy on his ex-spouse.
Although he was not taken to the police station, he received an offer to appear, the exact date of which is unknown. This mechanism is used by the police to complete the investigation and decide whether charges should be brought.
If investigators believe there are grounds for indictment, a file is forwarded to the DPCP, which then assumes responsibility before the courts.
In the present case, there is nothing to indicate that Ianik Lamontagne would actually be charged or that threats against the children were reported.
According to one of his friends, Patrick Boucher, Ianik Lamontagne was devastated by this arrest. Last Saturday, the 46-year-old father allegedly killed his two three-and-a-half-year-old twins before committing suicide at his home in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies in Lanaudière.
With Daniel Renaud, La Presse
Do you need help ?
Quebec Suicide Prevention Line: 1 866 APPEALS (277-3553)
Some resources for violent people and their families
Support Group for Impulsive People with Violent Behavior (Quebec): 418 529-3446
Action Against Violence and Family Intervention (Montreal): 450 692-7313