Geoffrey Kelley meets with leaders in Val-d'Or after sex abuse allegations

Geoffrey Kelley, the Quebecminister responsible for native affairs, was in Val-d'Or on Sunday to meet local leaders in light of recent accusations of sexual abuse by provincial police.

Kelley spoke with Val-d'OrMayor Pierre Corbeil,Guy Bourgeois, the LiberalMNA forAbitibi-Estand First Nations chiefs in the area.

"There's a great concern for the women who had the courage to speak, and that's one of the things we need to look athow to assure their safety," Kelley said after his meetings.

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• March held in Val-d'Or for aboriginal women alleging Quebec police sex abuse

But Kelley also said it's important to re-establish trust with the police.

"All of society depends on the police service. I imagine that manyofficers are in shock, too," he said.

Earlier this week, Radio-Canada's investigative program Enqute revealed that aboriginal women in the northern community alleged they were abused and sexually assaulted by provincial police officers.

The eight Quebec provincial police officers allegedly involved are under investigation and have either been put on leave or transferred to administrative duty.The investigation was handed over to Montreal police.

Calls for a Quebec-ledinquiry

ThePartiQubcoisand the CoalitionAvenirQubecare calling on the Quebec government to launch an inquiryinto the matter.

ButPublic Security MinisterLiseThriaultsaid it should be done aspart ofa countrywide inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women, which prime minister-designate JustinTrudeaupromised during the federal election campaign.

"Mr.Trudeaumade a commitment to move forward with a national inquiry," saidThriault.

"You have to understand that we cannot start 12 investigations."

Pierre KarlPladeau, the leader of thePartiQubcois,said the claims should be investigated by Quebec, not Ottawa.

"There are allegations concerning theSretduQubecand I don't believe that the federal government, in any way manner, has the competence or the jurisdiction when it comes to this very specific situation," saidPladeau.

CoalitionAvenirQubecleaderFranoisLegaultalso said there's a need for a local inquiry.

"We are talking about two different things. There is a general situation in Canada but what happened in Val-d'Or is very troubling and we need an investigation," Legaultsaid.

No short-term miracle solution

Kelleysaid problems faced by aboriginal communities are "profound" and that there are no short-term miracle solutions.

But he said he discussed how to address some of them, like Val-d'Or's increasing homelessness among native residents and fighting racism with more education.