Coroner’s inquest set to begin examining death of Toronto woman who fell from balcony

An inquest into the death of Toronto woman Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who tragically fell from a high-rise balcony in May 2020, is set to commence on Monday. The 29-year-old woman, who identified as Ukrainian, Black and Indigenous, lost her life after police responded to reports of a family dispute at her apartment. Her death occurred on the heels of the police-involved killing of George Floyd, which sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform.

The Special Investigations Unit investigated Korchinski-Paquet's death and cleared Toronto police of any wrongdoing. The inquest, which will last for 14 days and involve 15 witnesses, aims to examine how police handled the situation when Korchinski-Paquet was attempting to move between balconies. While the jury does not assign criminal responsibility, it may provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, these recommendations lack the power to be legally enforced.

Korchinski-Paquet's parents joined advocates in calling for the inquest recommendations to be binding and implemented swiftly. Her mother, Claudette Beals, expressed her frustration during a news conference at the provincial legislature, stating that six years have passed since her daughter's death and that no one has been held accountable. She also called for a new system to investigate allegations of police misconduct, expressing her lack of faith in the current system where "police investigate police."