A West Bank woman plans to take legal action against the RCMP after claiming they broke into her home unknowingly and began questioning her 11-year-old daughter in the middle of the night.
The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday. According to the RCMP, they received a report of a missing person related to a 17-year-old girl shortly before 4:30 a.m.
They say information from a complainant led them to a house and after a “prolonged period of ringing, ringing and verbal communication”, they entered the house through an unlocked door, verbally declaring their presence. The homeowner then woke up and confirmed that the missing girl was not there.
It’s not the way Cortney Pike resident says the situation has fallen.
He claims that the police did not call because their dog would bark and they did not know the presence of the police. She claims that the police entered her daughter’s room, interrogated her about the missing girl and did not have a warrant.
As for the missing girl, Pike says she can not find any connection that would lead the police to her home.
Contact a lawyer.
The RCMP says it has the power to enter a home without a warrant under certain conditions relating to public safety or the safety of an individual.
This principle is supported by a judgment of the Supreme Court R v Godoy, [1999] 1 SCE 311
