Sask. Penitentiary placed guards on leave after alleged assault, FSIN says
According to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), four correctional officers were placed on leave after allegedly assaulting an inmate at Saskatchewan Penitentiary.
The FSIN says earlier in November, Kihiw Fourstar was taken to the prison's medical unit due to the alleged assault.
During a news conference in Saskatoon on Thursday, Darla Fourstar needed consoling after talking about the treatment of her son.
“My child wasn't in a safe place. It's a mother's worst nightmare," she said.
“He told me that out of nowhere they rushed into his cell and had beaten him, leaving him with a busted skull,” said Fourstar.
FSIN second vice-chief Dutch Lerat told reporters the organization conducted an investigation and believes the allegations are factual. He acknowledged the leadership at Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Correctional Service Canada (CSC) for their transparency and decisive actions.
“We have learned that prior to our involvement, the Saskatchewan Penitentiary leadership had already acted on this incident, initiating an investigation through the RCMP and placing the four guards on administrative leave,” Lerat said.
CTV News has reached out to CSC for comment.
Lerat says the incident reflects greater concerns about the treatment of Indigenous people in correctional centres.
“We have received complaints from inmates that detailed incidents of physical mental and physical abuse, denial of access for equitable treatment surrounding both mental and health issues,” he said.
Fourstar claims her son received more abuse from guards before being transferred to Stony Mountain Correctional Centre.
“Before leaving Sask. Pen, guards violently stripped him, and twisted his arms and legs touching the back of his head,” she said.
She says he’s also been denied medication for mental health issues.
“There's underpinning issues here that we have been lobbying for many decades to address,” said FSIN Executive Director of Justice Jason Stonechild.
“Systemic processes that can be viewed as systemic racism, and over-representation of First Nations people in custody.”
Fourstar says her son has been left feeling depressed and empty.
“It's hard for a mother to hear all this, and I hope that no one ever goes through what Kihiw went through,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
Police clear encampments as U.S. campus arrests exceed 2,300 amid pro-Palestinian protests
Police ordered pro-Palestinian protesters to clear out of a tent encampment at New York University early Friday, a move that follows weeks of demonstrations and police confrontations at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in more than 2,300 arrests.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.