A Quebec coroner has issued a scathing critique of the Lévis police department following the death of 13-year-old Maëlyne Lugez. The investigation found that authorities failed to properly manage the search for the girl, who was discovered dead in a creek in November 2024.
The failure to treat a 13-year-old as both suicidal and missing
Coroner Luc Malouin's report, published on September 14, argues that Lévis police officers focused too narrowly on Maëlyne Lugez's mental health status. While officers recognized she was considered suicidal, Malouin found they failed to account for her status as a vulnerable 13-year-old child. This narrow focus meant that the search did not align with established guidance for missing children between the ages of 13 and 15.
According to the report, search protocols for this specific age group recommend that isolated areas be "flooded with mobile resources." Instead, the investigation suggests the police approach was insufficient for the dual nature of the crisis. By treating the situation primarily as a mental health issue rather than a high-priority missing child case, the department may have missed the opportunity to implement more aggressive search tactics.
A 400-metre gap between the search perimeter and the creek
The physical scope of the initial search was also a point of failure in the coroner's findings. The initial search conducted by Lévis police was limited to a 300-metre radius around the school from which Lugez disappeared on November 6. However, the girl was not located until approximately 1:20 p.m. on November 7, when she was found in a creek roughly 700 metres away from the school.
The report notes that police relied heavily on the assumption that 95 per cent of missing youths are typically located via cellphone geolocation or searches within 300 metres. however, Lugez's cellphone had been turned off, rendering that specific tool useless. This reliance on statistical averages may have led investigators to underestimate the actual area required for a successful recovery.
The rejected offer of Quebec provincial police dog handlers
One of the most significant lapses identified by Malouin was the decision to decline external assistance. As reported by The Canadian Press, the Quebec provincial police offered to provide a dog handler and their emergency measures division to assist in the search. Despite this offer, the Lévis police official in charge declined the specialized help, opting instead to wait until the following morning.
This decision directly contradicted the pleas of Lugez's family and school staff, who believed the child was in the wooded areas nearby. a police dog handler testified that the quiet evening of November 6 would have been an ideal time to utilize canine units in the woods. The refusal to accept these provincial resources represents a critical breakdown in inter-agency cooperation during a life-threatening emergency.
Why the 9:15 p.m. suspension ignored the risk of nighttime mortality
The timing of the search suspension remains a central unanswered question in the coroner's investigation. lévis police testified that they halted ground searches at approximately 9:15 p.m. due to darkness and officer fatigue. However, Malouin questioned the logic of stopping the search during the very window when Lugez's death likely occurred.
The coroner noted that Lugez's death most likely took place late on the evening of November 6 or in the early hours of November 7. This raises several specific questions that the report leaves for the public and the department to consider:
- Why did the Lévis police prioritize officer fatigue over the high-risk profile of a missing 13-year-old?
- What specific protocols led the official in charge to believe that waiting until morning was safer than accepting provincial dog handlers?
- How will the Lévis police department update its ground-search training to prevent similar lapses in the future?
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