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Molly Martin was found last night. The heroes of this story are the communities of We'koqma'q and Eskasoni, who searched for her for days, in shifts, on ATV's, on foot, in the woods, handing out posters at the bridge connecting the island to the mainland, all volunteer.
Molly is a 14yo girl. She was taken by Darcy Doyle, a 47yo man. No amber alert was issued bc she "left willingly" and was "old enough" to consent: "These alerts are supposed to be reserved for cases where someone is abducted or the victim is in danger of serious physical injury"
Darcy Doyle has been banned from the community We'koqma'q since May because he posed a safety threat, this was not held into account. He is due in court next month on an assault charge. He has multiple convictions of assault, weapons and theft. But she was not "in danger."
No one knew if he was armed. He has convictions of possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes. Search parties from We'koqma'q and Eskasoni went looking for Molly, the police did not. "we have child missing, a 14-year-old child," said chief Rod Googoo. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/just-come-back-home-family-of-missing-cape-breton-teen-pleads-1.5068686?cache=gdyzofsh%3FclipId%3D89925
"Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or to go missing than any other demographic group in Canada – and 16 times more likely to be killed or to disappear than white women, according to the National Inquiry into MMIWG" https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-nova-scotia-rcmp-send-emergency-alert-for-missing-indigenous-teen-week/
And now she is found. I do not know what criteria the RCMP needed to step in when they did, but it was definitely after immense public pressure. Before that, she was "a runaway."
Twelve times more likely to go missing. Sixteen times more likely to be murdered. It was an emergency as soon as it happened. Now he is in custody and she is home, and the narrative may be "thank god she is safe." But who knows what happened while she was with him? "Safe."
This isn't a happy ending. Girls like Molly go missing all the time, & racism inherent in Canadian society lets it happen. And it is still happening in spite of the National Inquiry, while gov officials congratulate themselves on their progress on an action plan that never comes.
