June 3, 2020 Update: SIU Investigation into Woman’s Fatal Fall from Toronto Balcony
Case Number:
20-TCD-124
Mississauga, ON (3 June, 2020) ---
The SIU investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet – who fell from a Toronto apartment balcony on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 – continues. Yesterday, SIU investigators interviewed an additional two civilian witnesses. A canvass of the area for potential additional witnesses is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.
Interviews with family members that were scheduled to occur today were cancelled by counsel representing the family, who has indicated that the family requires more time before they provide their information. The SIU respects the family’s decision and looks forward to receiving their accounts at the earliest opportunity.
Counsel for the family also indicated today that the family is concerned with possible leaks of information about what occurred inside the apartment from unnamed police sources. According to counsel, leaks of this nature detract from the public’s confidence, and the family’s confidence, in the integrity of the SIU investigation.
Section 12 of O. Reg. 267/10, in effect since 1999, prohibits police services and their members from disclosing information about an incident under investigation by the SIU. It does so precisely in order to preserve the independence and the credibility of the SIU’s work. The public and affected persons will have less confidence in the results of an SIU investigation where pronouncements are made by police services or officers ahead of the completion of a full SIU investigation, which is what used to occur prior to the enactment of the regulation and what the regulation was meant to remedy. These types of pronouncements can also contribute to delay in the investigative process, as seems to have occurred here with the cancellation of the family interviews.
It is imperative that the public have confidence in the SIU’s investigations. Accordingly, the SIU director has today written to the Toronto Police Service to ask that it takes immediate steps to prevent further releases of information about what occurred inside the apartment.
The SIU is working diligently to ensure the investigation is concluded, and its findings released, as expeditiously as possible. Until such time, the SIU again asks that all parties refrain from reaching conclusions about the events in question until the investigation is completed.
If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
