Montreal: A coroner’s investigation into the death of 13-year-old Maëlyne Lugez in Quebec has cited the local police department for severe operational failures. In the official report, Coroner Luc Malouin strongly criticized the Lévis Police Service for prematurely calling off the search efforts for the missing girl.
Maëlyne was reported missing from her school on November 6, 2024. Although police initiated a search, officers suspended operations later that night at approximately 9:15 PM. According to the coroner’s findings, the teenager was still alive in a nearby wooded area at the time the search was halted.
Her body was discovered the following afternoon in a stream located just one kilometer from her school. The report highlights that the Lévis Police declined offers of assistance from the provincial police and volunteer organizations, which included trained K-9 search units.
Coroner Malouin ruled out suicide, determining that Maëlyne accidentally drowned after falling into the stream while seeking solitude in the woods. The report noted that law enforcement failed to demonstrate the heightened urgency required when a child under 15 goes missing, and recommended mandatory ground-search training for police officers to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
