Quebec coroner criticizes police search for 13-year-old girl

Montreal - A Quebec coroner, Luc Malouin, has criticized police in Lévis for their handling of the search for 13-year-old Maëlyne Lugez, whose body was discovered in a creek near her school in November 2024. The coroner's report questions why police suspended ground searches overnight, despite the possibility that Lugez may have still been alive.

The search initially began after Lugez left school during her lunch break but was halted at around 9:15 p.m. and resumed the following morning. Lugez was found the following afternoon, less than a kilometer from her school, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Malouin's report indicates that police placed too much emphasis on Lugez's potential suicidal profile and overlooked search techniques suitable for a missing child of her age.

The coroner believes the evidence suggests Lugez drowned accidentally and did not intend to take her own life. Lévis police are currently reviewing the report.