“It’s phenomenal”: almost three times more accusations of murder against minors

The number of miners accused of murder has almost tripled in two years, which led the director of criminal and criminal proceedings (DPCP) to create a team specializing in the matter to manage these files as disturbing as they are delicate.

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“Accused of 15 years. However, 16, 17, involved in violent murders by firearms, in Montreal, for me, it is phenomenal”, is still amazed^e Louis-David Bénard, from the youth affairs office, at the DPCP.

He is part of a small group of prosecutors who devote himself to homicides committed by minors in the metropolis. Consequently, By the “it’s phenomenal”: almost three times new end of July, there will be four in total.

Louis-David Bénard, crown prosecutor, in 2023 Photo Louis-Dominique Lamarche

Two had already been assigned to it during the year 2023, but the quantity of files continued to increase, as is the workload. Moreover, At the moment, they are said to have a dozen causes of accusations of murder targeting minors.

Throughout the province, the accusations of murder against minors went from 6 to 17 between 2022 and 2024.

A 17-year-old teenager was arrested for the 16-year-old murder in April in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough in Montreal. However, The police had erected a perimeter at the corner of avenue Barclay and rue Lemieux. Photo Laurent Lavoie

“It involves many witnesses. surveys that are extremely complex, bulky, with a lot of data from IT and telephone devices,” observes M^e Bénard.

Access to firearms

But what jumps out of the lawyer in view of the different stories is the ease. “it’s phenomenal”: almost three times new of access to firearms for young offenders.

Why would a teenager invest a few thousand dollars to get a pistol? There are many possibilities.

“It is difficult to conceive, suits m^e Bénard. Is it to increase your feeling of security? Feel superior to others? Feel invincible? “

A 16-year-old teenager was arrested last April for opening fire on a dozen covers in the district of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. An important police scene had been deployed. MAXIME DELAND/AGENCE QMI “it’s phenomenal”: almost three times new

Young people will. for example, start flying vehicles, which may allow them to make enough money to arm.

They find themselves committing the irreparable for often futile quarrels. in a context of “subcontracting” on behalf of influential criminals. Tensions between gangs would often be in the background.

“It is very rare that we just have an involved teenager. Very often, there will be another teenager and adult accomplices, who will gravitate around, ”explains Louis-David Bénard.

Pandemic

According to the stakeholders consulted by The newspaperthis phenomenon could be due to the passage of the pandemic. that is still felt.

“Several studies have demonstrated […] All kinds of observations on the anxiety of young people. their mental health, underlines René-André Brisebois, project manager at the young university institute in difficulty. We see with these years a certain transformation of delinquency. ”

Three suspects, including a 15 -year -old minor, had been arrested for a double murder in Montreal in July 2024. We can see here one of the victims who had been photographed entering an ambulance. Photo Agence QMI, PASCAL GIRARD

During this period, the shots were also almost everyday in the metropolis.

“It may have trivialized the advent of weapons a bit,” said Mr.^e Bénard.

In any case. there is “it’s phenomenal”: almost three times new reason to worry about the future of offenders who will grow in the prison system for violent crimes, insists René-André Brisebois.

“You have to act as quickly as possible. first in prevention, and focus after that on the needs of these young people to get them out of this universe,” he said.