For a rare time on television, young people directly or indirectly involved in gun incidents agreed to speak for the documentary about the violence that rages around them Teenagers and armed.
Some of them sold weapons, mainly to minors, others purchased them for fun, to instill a sense of protection or even to impose a certain status/respect on others.
Fabrice Vil is a lawyer and social entrepreneur. Photo provided by Télé-Québec
“I got my first .357 Magnum when I was 13. I felt all-powerful,” one of them confessed on condition of anonymity.
“We started running when we were 12 years old. We came through the gap, had the phone and went to the customers,” says another with a different voice.
Collecting these statements from teenagers was obviously quite a challenge for the production team, said lawyer and social entrepreneur Fabrice Vil in an interview with QMI Agency.
“There is still a pretty strict law of silence, fear of speaking and fear of reprisals if we are recognized,” he recalled, emphasizing that the relationship of trust between the production and the young people was essential for carrying out this raid was essential.
Witnessing the resurgence and increase in armed violence among young Quebecers, Fabrice Vil, who effectively directs the documentary, did not hesitate when he received the invitation from Productions Déferlantes to take part in the discussion.
“When they approached me about whether I wanted to be part of the process, it seemed clear to me that it was important to be involved,” he said. Even if only to question together the solutions that need to be implemented or used to ensure support for young people, or to know how to effectively combat this social problem.”
An intersectoral problem
“While preparing the documentary, our focus was to view the fight against armed violence not only as a matter of public safety, but also as an intersection between public health and education. “, said the co-founder of the organization Pour 3 Points.
“It is a cross-sector issue and by looking at it as such we really address the root causes. We are looking at the issue more broadly,” he continued.
Fabrice Vil is committed to equal opportunities within Quebec society. Photo provided by Télé-Québec
The documentary also unfolds in this spirit. With a very broad view, far from stigmatization, he addresses all facets that can lure young people into the underworld, be it the search for adrenaline, success, personal development, the temptation to make a profit or hunger. It is also about all possible solutions and all the work that should be done in advance to prevent this turn of events.
In 2020, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) filed 164 charges against minors related to the possession of firearms in the Greater Montreal area. The following year that number rose to 276.
“This question can interest us beyond the headlines,” believes Fabrice Vil. “Understand what the root of the problem is and understand who the young people affected are. From there we can develop solutions,” he advised.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, granted an interview to Fabrice Vil as part of the documentary “Teens and Armed People”. Photo provided by Télé-Québec
“Teenagers and Armed” also gives the floor to collateral victims and a panel of highly relevant experts (including criminologists, social workers, lawyers specializing in the defense of juvenile offenders, researchers, local staff, parents and primary school teachers).
Teenagers and Armed will be presented on Télé-Québec on Wednesday, October 18, at approximately 8 p.m.
The discussion will continue in the same place with Marie-Louise Arsenault after the broadcast.