Canadian hit-man case to be reviewed

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HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Nova Scotia's justice minister said Wednesday he has referred a murder-for-hire case to a federal commission for complaints against the national police force.

Referring to the case of Nicole Doucet Ryan, a school teacher who tried to hire a hit man to kill her allegedly abusive husband, Justice Minister Ross Landry said the Commission for Public Complaints Against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be asked to review the RCMP's handling of Doucet's telephone calls for assistance.

Doucet was arrested in 2008 and charged with lining up an undercover police officer to kill her husband, Michael Ryan.

The case gained attention in January when the Supreme Court of Canada ordered a stay of proceedings against Doucet, criticizing the RCMP's handling of the case and noting "the authorities were much quicker to intervene to protect Mr. Ryan than they had been to respond to her request in dealing with his reign of terror over her."

Doucet said in court she called the RCMP numerous times about the alleged abuse, and was told hers was a civil matter. She argued hiring a hit man was the only way to save herself and her daughter, the CBC reported.

"It's important for Nova Scotians, especially those experiencing domestic violence, know they can go to police for help," the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Landry as saying in his explanation for requesting the review. "I hope that an independent review can put any doubts and questions victims have to rest."

The CBC noted the commission is an independent agency created by the Canadian Parliament, and not a part of the police force.