Quebec senior found living in squalor had been under ex's control for decades, police say

Rachel Watts · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 5:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A 78-year-old pistillate successful Quebec's Eastern Townships was recovered successful "unlivable" conditions and sleeping connected the level aft her ex-partner allegedly controlled her life for 27 years, according to police.

At the extremity of February, Memphrémagog constabulary recovered the pistillate successful her home, which belonged to her and her ex-partner successful Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley municipality.

Police initially entered to assistance Quebec's nine for the extortion of animals successful the removal of 13 cats, which were described arsenic sick and dehydrated.

The authorities said that not lone were the cats surviving successful a "toxic environment" and "unacceptable conditions," but the pistillate was besides successful a "very precarious situation."

"The location was wholly unstable," said Lt. Carl Pépin with Memphrémagog police.

"She was sleeping connected the level … determination was nary cleanable up made successful the location for galore months."

Pépin did not spell into item astir the woman's carnal condition, but says she had to beryllium carried retired of the home. The location besides had nary stove and the bath was unusable, according to police.

Pépin says constabulary are bringing this lawsuit to the public's attraction arsenic a reminder of the value of decently caring for seniors.

Ex-partner could look respective charges

Although the woman's ex had not lived successful the location for 27 years, constabulary say he exercised fiscal and intelligence power implicit the unfortunate — isolating her from the extracurricular world.

"The probe revealed that the fishy took power of beauteous overmuch each aspects of her beingness and wouldn't supply her with the tools she needs to person a decent life," said Pépin.

"If you're going to beryllium successful complaint oregon taking attraction of an aged idiosyncratic … you person to bash it properly."

The ex-partner, a 65-year-old Sherbrooke man, was arrested connected March 19. Police accidental helium could face respective charges, including transgression negligence causing bodily harm, nonaccomplishment to supply the necessities of beingness and nonaccomplishment to supply due attraction for an carnal successful one's custody.

The charges person not yet been filed oregon tested successful court. 

The antheral was released with conditions and connected a promise to look successful tribunal connected June 12.

Police accidental the pistillate was transported to infirmary and was precocious placed successful a residence to person care.

Karine Barrette, a lawyer and task manager with the Regroupement des maisons determination femmes victimes de unit conjugale, did not remark connected this peculiar case, but says generally, coercive oregon fiscal power tin impact radical of each ages.

"Very often we thin to hide astir the aged women," said Barrette.

She says coercive power is simply a bid of strategies utilized by perpetrators to isolate and often marque their spouse oregon ex-partner fearfulness for their beingness oregon information of loved ones. She says this tin see monitoring, carnal oregon affectional threats, humiliation and gaslighting.

"It does impact older women arsenic well. So I deliberation that we person to support successful caput that it tin be, yes, a portion of negligence toward aged people, but it tin besides beryllium successful intersection with home violence," said Barrette. 

If you're successful contiguous information oregon fearfulness for your information oregon that of others astir you, delight telephone 911. If you're affected by household oregon intimate spouse violence, you tin look for assistance done crisis lines and section enactment services. ​​