Fifth suspected femicide in five weeks
By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
Quebec provincial police (SQ) are investigating what appears to be the fifth suspected femicide in as many weeks.
Officers responded early Tuesday last week to Parc des Ancres in Pointe-des-Cascades, where they found Francis Legault, 38, dead.
After confirming his identity, the officers went to his residence on Pie-XII Street in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Inside, they found Joanie Imbeault, 32, a mother of two, also dead.
Police stated that they believe Legault killed Imbeault before taking his own life.
Forensic and background checks are ongoing. The case is being handled as a murder-suicide linked to conjugal violence.
Advocates say the pace of suspected femicides in Quebec is alarming. SOS Violence Conjugale received 60,000 calls for help between April 2024 and March 2025. The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability counts more than two dozen suspected cases so far this year, most involving intimate partners.
SOS director Gabrielle Bouchard and Laval University law professor Julie Desrosiers say more prevention, faster intervention, and systemic change are needed to address gender-based violence in Quebec. n
Fifth suspected femicide in five weeks Read More ยป