Emmanuel Diafouka

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The family of Emmanuel Diafouka is demanding answers after Montreal police ruled the 18-year-old’s death a suicide following what they describe as a rushed six-day investigation.

Emmanuel’s body was discovered in a Dollard-des-Ormeaux park on January 30, with circumstances his parents say don’t add up. The case, initially treated as suspicious, was closed, following a six-day investigation, as a suicide – a conclusion that has left the family reeling and searching for truth.

“Emmanuel wasn’t a suicidal child. He loved life, he loved his family, and he had plans,” his mother, Chimene Moumpala, told media, while fighting back tears during a press conference held at the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) office.

The timeline of events has emerged as a critical point of contention. According to Jean-François Diafouka, Emmanuel’s father, phone records show his son made a call at 8:32 p.m. from their home. Police determined the time of death as 8:33 p.m. – creating what the family sees as an impossible scenario, given that the park is a 10-minute walk from their residence.

More questions surfaced when Emmanuel’s friends discovered bloody tissues near the scene days after his death. Despite sharing photographs with investigators, the family says police never followed up on this potential evidence.

The investigation’s scope has also drawn criticism. Helena Diafouka, Emmanuel’s sister, revealed that police attributed the suicide to an argument with his girlfriend – yet investigators never interviewed the girlfriend or Emmanuel’s close friends. She added that the dispute had been resolved before her brother’s death.

At the time of his death, Emmanuel was looking forward to an upcoming trip to the Republic of Congo with his mother and had plans to pursue hockey in France. His family struggles to reconcile these future plans with the suicide ruling.

Fo Niemi, CRARR’s executive director, expressed concern about the investigation’s impact on public trust, particularly within Montreal’s Black community. “Justice cannot be served without reopening this case and examining all overlooked evidence and un-interviewed witnesses,” Niemi said.

Helena Diafouka questions whether her brother’s case received less thorough attention because of his race.

The Montreal police service maintains that “the evidence gathered during the investigation confirms that this was not a criminal act” but declined to provide specific details. Meanwhile, the Quebec coroner’s office continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Emmanuel’s death.

The family has reached out to DDO Mayor Alex Bottausci and their MP, Francis Scarpaleggia of Lac-Saint-Louis, for support in reopening the investigation.

“When the family reached out seeking help, I felt compelled to assist them as a concerned member of our community. While this matter falls outside my municipal role, I was able to facilitate communication with the appropriate authorities, who showed great empathy toward the family’s situation. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is help connect people with those who can provide answers. I’m grateful I could play a small part in helping this family work toward the closure they so deeply deserve. This is absolutely tragic and they deserve all the time and attention required to have the detailed explanations that they are seeking,” Bottausci told The Suburban.

“We need closure to begin healing,” Helena said. “Without answers, we can’t properly grieve. We deserve to know what really happened to Emmanuel.” n