RCMP had no reason to believe wife who sought hitman was being abused: report

HALIFAX – An independent commission has cleared the RCMP of wrongdoing in the case of a Nova Scotia woman who tried to hire a hitman to kill her allegedly abusive husband, saying the force had no reasonable grounds to believe Nicole Doucet was a battered wife.

The report released today concludes the Mounties did not fail to protect Doucet.

Nova Scotia Justice Minister Ross Landry called for the review by the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP amid public concerns about how Doucet’s case was handled.

Doucet was acquitted in 2010 of counselling to commit murder after she tried to hire an undercover Mountie to kill her now ex-husband, Michael Ryan, who she accused in court of threatening to kill her and her daughter.

The Supreme Court of Canada ordered a stay of proceedings in the case in January and accused the RCMP of ignoring Doucet’s numerous calls for help, which the Mounties steadfastly denied.

In its review, the commission says it found only one report of domestic violence and, in that case, it ruled the RCMP’s investigation was consistent with the force’s policies.