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When I was attacked and robbed in my home at 4995 Prince of Wales, NDG, Montreal on October 7, 1996, I told the police immediately who had robbed me. Instead of questioning the thief, the police took me out of my home and told me in front of my assailant that I must never go back to the house for any reason.
I was not allowed to take any of my belongings with me. I was left with my purse, my bible and a pair of brown pumps I had intended to wear at church that day.
The police left me alone in the street in front of the house without even a coat. Everything I owned was left in the house in the hands of Dawn McSweeney and her boyfriend, Alex Lavergne.
The Montreal Police refused to take my report saying that I had to be patient and everything would be returned to me. During the following months and years, the Montreal Police at the Mariette station in NDG refused again and again and again to file a report of the crime.
In March, 1997, everything was returned to me by Dawn McSweeney - except for all my valuables, everything I had worked for all my life, everything left to me by my beloved husband.
Dawn McSweeney had five months, day and night, to go through all my possessions and select the items she wanted. And she returned the rest - files, clothing, everything but my most precious personal possessions - like my wedding portrait and my husband's trademark grey Stetson fedora - and all my best jewellery and my husband's diamond ring and his onyx ring, and his New Jersey Deputy Sheriff's badge.
Dawn McSweeney stole what was most precious to me - and what was most valuable for her. Greed, hatred, jealousy, bigotry - all played a role in what she stole. Bigotry was the key that allowed Dawn McSweeney to rob me. It opened the door and allowed her in. It opened the door and had me removed from my home so that she was completely free to steal whatever she wanted.
When my empty cases were returned by Dawn McSweeney in mid-March, 1997, I brought all the empty little jewellery boxes and cases to the Montreal Police at the Mariette station. They finally started what appeared to be an investigation.
A police detective was assigned to the case. After I pleaded with her to recover my belongings from the house, she managed to get Dawn to return my winter coat. Nothing else. The police detective did not enter the house and made no effort to recover my belongings. She went to the door at 4995 Prince of Wales and Dawn handed her my borg coat.
The police told me they could not enter the house without a warrant. I asked them to get a warrant. They told me that judges will not issue a warrant unless they are absolutely sure that they would find the stolen goods. Catch 22 for crime victims who don't have an expensive lawyer to defend their rights. What rights? The police at the Mariette station told me that crime victims have no rights. Only the accused have rights.
Some time later, I received a tip that Dawn had a boyfriend who owned a jewellery store on Prince Arthur. When I gave that information to the detective, she told me to go and investigate myself as I had been a Pinkerton Investigator. I went out to Prince Arthur, and I wrote a report for the police.
And the Montreal Police did nothing. Incompetent ? Corrupt ? We don't give a damn ?
This is how the Montreal Police have treated this criminal case. And so I fight on - day and night - until the criminals are tried in criminal court and they return everything they have stolen.
For details and background, see http://dawnmcsweeney.blogspot.com