Harper says Corrections’ actions were ‘unacceptable’
Prime minister says case was a ‘terrible tragedy’
TORONTO — Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly criticized correctional authorities Thursday for their handling of a disturbed teenager who choked to death in her cell five years ago, prompting opposition accusations of federal government dishonesty.
The issue reached the House of Commons following the screening of disturbing jailhouse video at an inquest into the death of Ashley Smith this week that shows guards duct-taping her and drugging her against her will.
“The Ashley Smith case is obviously a terrible tragedy,” Harper said.
However, information has come to light that shows Corrections Canada’s behaviour was “completely unacceptable,” he told the House of Commons.
Outside the Commons, Liberal Leader Bob Rae accused the Conservative government of being “dishonest.”
“This is a government that wanted to stop the showing of those videos,” Rae said.
“This is a government that, every step of the way, attempted to keep Canadians from seeing what went on.”
While federal lawyers lost a court battle to keep the videos under wraps, they are still fighting to limit the scope of the inquest, which would block scrutiny of what happened to Smith in prisons outside Ontario.
Harper said he would let “arguments between lawyers” play out without interference.
Smith choked to death as guards looked on in October 2007 at a prison in Kitchener, Ont. She had spent the past year of her life in segregation, shunted among prisons in five provinces.
Also Thursday, Smith’s family released documents their lawyer said showed a “shoddy” criminal investigation into how prison authorities in Quebec had treated Smith.