The police officers who last saw young Daphné Huard-Boudreault alive before her ex-spouse killed her in 2017 have just been acquitted by the police ethics committee.
• Also read: Daphné Huard-Boudreault’s family will be compensated
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“The officer really cared about the safety of this young woman. This police officer even acted at the expense of her own safety by entering the apartment alone [où elle a été tuée]’, ruled the administrative judge Louise Rivard.
The murder of young Daphné Huard-Boudreault (18) by Anthony Pratte-Lops (22) in Mont-Saint-Hilaire shook all of Quebec in 2017.
The victim, who had split from her boyfriend a week earlier, was stabbed while trying to get her belongings from his home without waiting for a police escort.
Officer Brigitte Légaré and Sergeant Martin Fisette of the Richelieu-Saint-Laurent inter-communal police agency have been accused of failing to arrest Anthony Pratte-Lops immediately when the victim showed up at police station shortly before the tragedy.
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In the early morning of March 22, 2017, police received a call from Daphne urging them to evict her ex-boyfriend from the supermarket where she worked because the latter didn’t want to leave.
“Headquarters is investigating Anthony and nothing significant comes out about him,” the April 5 decision said.
The perpetrator had no criminal record, but had received several traffic offenses. Citizens had particularly complained about his behavior, calling it “street rage”.
During the police operation at the supermarket, officers tried in vain to persuade the victim to file a complaint about harassment and theft because her ex-husband had his mobile phone with him.
Daphne eventually decided to go to the Beloeil police station after her shift, where she met Constable Légaré and Sergeant Fisette.
The victim did not want to file a complaint again, but wanted to “move on”, according to the decision.
“Agent Légaré then considers that the elements of theft and harassment do not allow her to file a complaint instead of Daphne and arrest Anthony without a complaint from the latter,” we specify.
However, the procedure in place at Beloeil train station provided that the police could have arrested the stalker without the victim’s consent.
However, Constable Légaré never had any training in domestic violence. Sergeant Fisette had read the procedure put in place by the police in 2008 but had extremely vague memories of it.
Judge Rivard still believed that since the police did not know where he was, it would have been impossible for the police to arrest Anthony Pratte-Lops at the time.
“First, [les policiers n’étaient] not in his presence. On the other hand, they did not have the legal authority to prevent Daphne from going to his house when she was determined and did so,” the judge states.
Last Moments
Agent Légaré had also insisted on accompanying Daphne to collect her personal belongings from her ex-boyfriend, who was said to be away. They had agreed to go there in separate vehicles.
When she arrived at Pratte-Lops, the officer Légaré noticed the presence of Daphné’s car but did not see it.
She then went to the apartment door and saw the resident leaving the premises with blood on his hands, according to the decision.
“She steps back, draws her service weapon and orders him to show his hands. His right hand is injured. He addresses her by her first name and adds, “Arrête-moi,” indicates Judge Rivard.
Anthony Pratte-Lops was then finally arrested.
The killer was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 18 years.
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