No charges against Quebec provincial police in Val-d'Or abuse scandal

Crown prosecutors will not charge six Quebec provincial police officers following an investigation into the alleged abuse of Indigenous women in Val-d'Or, Que., sources have told CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada.

• 37 filesof alleged police abuse in Val-d'Or handed over to Crown

Prosecutors have been in thecity 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal since Monday,meeting with the women who made complaints about police conduct.

"They deserve that we take the time to meet with them to explain what led to our decision,"Crown spokesperson Jean-PascalBouchertoldCBC News.

Boucherwouldn't confirm reports about the Crown's decision. The Crown has scheduled a news conferenceFridayto make its findings public.

• Dozens of Aboriginal women pick up phone to complain about Quebec police abuse

The complaints involvedsix officers, who have been on paid suspension since the investigation began in October 2015, after a report by Radio-Canada's investigative program Enqute uncoveredseveral allegations of abusetoward Indigenous women in Val-d'Or.

Montreal police,who were asked to investigate by the provincial government, said on Monday they had turned over 37 files to prosecutors for review.

Three veteran prosecutors from outside theVal-d'Orregionanalyzedthe files,Bouchersaid.

According to Radio-Canada sources, the suspended police officers metwith their superiors Tuesday afternoon andreceived a letter from Montreal police that said they would not be facing charges.

• Enqute investigation into Val d'Or available in English

The Crown's investigation only pertains to complaints inVal-d'Orfiled beforeApril 4, 2016.Any complaint filed after that date is still under investigation as part of a province-wide probe.

Radio-Canada reportdetailed allegations of abuse

One woman told Enqute that provincial police officers would ask her to perform oral sex in exchange for alcohol, drugs or money.

Another woman described how officers would pick her up in their vehicle and drive her out of town, only to abandon her at the side of the road, kilometresaway from residential areas.

Forty-one provincial police officers are suing Radio-Canada for airing the report.

They are asking for $2.3 million in damages. The officers claim the report was "biased, misleading" and its content was "inaccurate, incomplete and untrue."

They added the Radio-Canada report created a hostile working environment for officers in Val-d'Or.

• Val-d'Orsees 'hope' after police abuse allegations