Ten correctional officers in Newfoundland have been charged with a series of crimes related to the death of an inmate in St. John's jail last year, Global News reports.
Jonathan Henoche, a 33-year-old Inuk man from Labrador, had been awaiting trial on multiple charges, one of which was first-degree murder of an 88-year-old woman. He died last November at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John's following an alleged altercation with one of the facility's correctional officers.
Over a year later, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) has announced that one of the officers involved is being charged with manslaughter and failure to provide necessities of life, another two officers with manslaughter only, and seven other officers with criminal negligence causing death.
The charged officers are currently out of jail under conditional release, and are expected to attend court on Feb. 11 next year.
The identities of the officers have not yet been released. Robert Hoskins, who was Henoche's lawyer, said that systemic racism pervades the case.
"As an aboriginal myself, it's hard not to look at this through the lens of systemic racism," he said. "How many aboriginal accused persons get to have their bail hearings deferred on manslaughter charges? Or get to have their names withheld from the media?"
Hoskins did not provide any evidence that racism motivated the actions of the officers nor the decision to withhold the identities of the accused. RNC Constable James Cadigan said, however, that withholding the names of the officers is "within the confines of the law, based on the charges."
Henoche's family reportedly welcomed the charges, according to their lawyer.
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