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Manitoba

Harper rebuffs renewed calls for murdered, missing women inquiry

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dismissed renewed calls for a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women after the killing of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg.

PM says deaths, disappearances are 'crime' not 'sociological phenomenon'

Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejected renewed calls for an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada. Harper made the comments while in Whitehorse on Thursday as part of his annual tour of the North. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Fifteen-year-old Tina Fontaine's body was recovered from the Red River Aug. 17. Police are investigating the death as a homicide. (CBC)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dismissed renewed calls for anational inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal womenafter the killing of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg.

"It's very clear that there has been veryfulsomestudy of this particular of these particular things. They're not all one phenomenon," said Harper."We should not view this as a sociological phenomenon.We should view it as crime."

Fontaine'sbody was found in a bag in the Red River on Sunday, and police believe the girl was murdered.

Harper said he extended his sympathies to Fontaine'sfamily but reiterated no inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginalwomen would be called.

Harper made the comments onThursdayduring his annual tour of the North.

"The RCMP has said itself in its study, the vast majority of these cases are addressed, and they're solved through police investigations," said Harper. "We'll leave it in their hands."