A charge against a Cape Breton man accused of abducting an Indigenous teenage girl has people wondering — once again — why an Amber Alert wasn’t issued when she first went missing.
Darcy Doyle was apprehended early Saturday morning in the Canoe Lake area after an extensive three-day search for a 14-year-old girl ended with relief and gratitude.
On Monday, the man allegedly at the centre of the search was in a Sydney courtroom to face a criminal charge of abducting a person under the age of 16.
“He was charged with abducting a child under the age of 16 from the parent,” said Crown Attorney Sheldon Nathanson. “He is now before the court facing a serious charge; it’s an indictable offence.”
Doyle, 47, remains at the Cape Breton Correctional Centre to await a bail hearing on Wednesday.
On the Waycobah First Nation, people are happy, but the chief has a lot of questions for the RCMP.
“I’m quite relieved a charge has been laid, but I’m also confused with this abduction charge,” said Chief Rod Googoo. “If he was charged with abduction then why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued when she went missing?”
At the time, the RCMP said an Amber Alert wasn’t issued because the missing teen didn’t meet the criteria – which included being abducted.
“I’ll be writing a letter to the RCMP with a list of questions I have,” Googoo said. “Hopefully, I’ll get some answers and more clarity about what happened, or what went wrong.”
The RCMP says the investigation into the case is ongoing, and more details will be released Tuesday. Meanwhile the Crown says they’re opposing Doyle’s release.
“The Crown will likely be seeking a period of imprisonment should he be convicted,” Nathanson said. “The Crown is not going to be consenting to his release no matter what the bail release plan will be. The Crown is concerned with respect to the continuation of the offence, and that’s the protection of this 14-year-old Indigenous girl.”
Nathanson says he couldn’t comment on whether more charges will be laid, as the investigation is only in the early stages.
While having the teen home marks the end of a stressful time, the court proceedings are only just beginning for the family and the community.
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/cape-breton-man-charged-with-child-abduction-1.5077291
