A "juvenile" but time-honoured Quebec police rookie initiation rite that starts with booze and ends with a firm slap on the derrière is the focus of a criminal investigation following hazing complaints.
Montreal police have been asked to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in an initiation tradition practised within the Quebec city force for more than half a century.
The ritual starts with rounds of beer, then moves to a "weigh-in" involving older officers holding new recruits down on their backs, while others bet on their weight.
The game ends with a slap on the behind.
"It's childish, it's juvenile, but it's a tradition," explained Sébastien Talbot, a spokesman for the Quebec City police brotherhood. "It's always strange when you, out of context, have to explain an initiation to somebody."
The Quebec City police force confirmed in a news release Thursday night that their Montreal counterparts have been asked to look into allegations of wrongdoing.
"[Quebec City police chief] Serge Bélisle learned recently that criminal infractions could have possibly been committed within the context of an initiation activity that took place in recent months," the release said.
Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafrenière said investigators were dispatched to Quebec City three days ago and are meeting with individuals involved in the incident, which took place in recent months.
"The allegations involved police employees and their behaviour, that has been investigated so far," Lafrenière said.
"Our main goal is to find out whether or not something criminal was taking place, submit that to a Crown prosecutor, and that person will decide by himself if he [will] press charges."
Lafrenière wouldn't say how many officers were targeted in the investigation.
Though such allegations are usually handled by internal affairs divisions, the Public Security Department decided to hand the investigation over to another force for transparency reasons.
"It's so citizens see there was no cover-up or people deciding to protect themselves," Lafrenière said.
Police in Montreal and Quebec City were releasing no other details about what allegedly took place.
Bélisle promised his force would co-operate with the investigation.
"Members of the executive and myself deplore and entirely disapprove of practices and gestures that cause harm to the dignity and the rights of a person … no matter the circumstances," he said in a news release Thursday night.
"We reassure the population that in this affair the judicial process will follow its course and if sanctions are necessary, they will be taken."
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