Home / Crime and Justice / Quebec Police Ethics Probe: Teen Search Conduct Under Fire
Quebec Police Ethics Probe: Teen Search Conduct Under Fire
8 Oct
Summary
- Quebec's police ethics commissioner ordered an investigation into Lévis police.
- The probe concerns the 2024 disappearance and death of 13-year-old Maëlyne Lugez.
- A coroner questioned the suspension of the ground search for the teen.
An investigation has been launched by Quebec's police ethics commissioner into the actions of the Lévis police service concerning the 2024 disappearance and death of 13-year-old Maëlyne Lugez. This development follows a September 2026 report by coroner Luc Malouin, which indicated that Maëlyne was likely alive when the ground search for her was suspended. The Service de police de la Ville de Lévis (SPVL) made the decision to halt the search less than 12 hours after she was reported missing on November 6.
The police ethics investigation, ordered on September 29, 2026, seeks to ascertain if the officers' conduct violated the Code of Ethics. The agency began its review of the case on November 11, 2025. Previously, chief coroner Reno Bernier had ordered a public inquiry into Maëlyne's death, after an initial coroner's report suggested accidental drowning before she was reported missing. Maëlyne's father publicly contested these findings, citing concerns about his daughter's mental health struggles.
Coroner Malouin's report noted that while not concluding Maëlyne would have survived had the search continued, the police exhibited tunnel vision, focusing on her suicidal ideation while disregarding her age. The SPVL has confirmed its full cooperation with the ethics investigation, respecting the ongoing process by refraining from further comment. Since October 2024, the Police Act empowers the ethics commissioner to initiate investigations autonomously if wrongdoing is suspected.
