Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

A Montrealer who allegedly assaulted his daughter, threatened to kill her and rape her corpse following her refusal to be forcibly married to a cousin in Turkey is now facing justice according to Canadian laws. The 53-year old accused, who cannot be identified due to the involvement of the department of youth protection in the case, is facing charges of threats, assault, as well as armed assault.

He was arrested and detained following an incident on January 3, where his wife dialed 911 for help after he allegedly became aggressive and threatened to kill her (and their daughter) upon discovering that she filed for divorce.

The accused was likely to remain detained throughout the court proceedings as authorities have assessed him to be a high risk individual likely to commit a crime should he be released from custody. “He reportedly said that when he was released, he would go and kill his wife and daughter with a knife and cut them into small pieces. The police assess the homicide risk as high,” Crown prosecutor Catherine Ménard stated on Tuesday January 9, at the Montreal courthouse. “The woman mentioned that she has been experiencing violence for decades, that she is beaten regularly, but that in Turkey, she could not do anything, because women’s rights are not like in Canada.”

Defense lawyer Antonio Cabral, representing the accused, argued for the release of his client stating that he has no criminal record since his arrival in Canada 20 years ago. “The comments he allegedly made are worrying and deplorable, but he is presumed innocent.”

Following the arrest of the accused, both mother and daughter went to the police to ask that their complaints be withdrawn. However, according to the prosecutor’s statements — the danger of the accused attacking them is “clear and obvious.” “His detention is necessary for the safety of the public and the victims,” she explained to the court.

On Thursday January 11, Judge Pierre E. Labelle decided that “the safety of the plaintiffs seems to me at this stage to be more than compromised. The detention of the accused is more than necessary.”

The accused will remain in custody throughout the course of the criminal proceedings. n