It was a winter night in January. After receiving a call from an investigator, Gilles Rivard went to the Granby police station. Even before he was told, he knew his daughter had been killed.
Chloé Lauzon-Rivard was murdered by her partner, Michael Dugas-Farcy, on January 5, in Granby. It was the first feminicide to occur in 2024 in Quebec.
Mr. Rivard had a bad feeling about his eldest daughter, who had not heard from him for several days.
My daughter, she wrote to us all the time. She was the one who organized the parties and since it was the holiday season, we interacted on social networks. At some point she stopped writing to us. I had some doubts. But when your children are almost 30, you say to yourself: “I’m going to give them a little leeway.”
He was in New York celebrating the New Year when he received his daughter’s last message: Happy New Year, Dad.
Assuming it really came from her, he said. I never saw my daughter again.
I had a doubt that something was wrong. I felt it. When they told me at the police station, I was surprised, but not surprised.
The report by Pascal Robidas.
The beginning of a long nightmare
During the weeks that followed, Mr. Rivard systematically woke up every night at 12:15 a.m. It was at this time that he received the phone call from the investigator that would turn his life upside down. He spent sleepless nights reliving the events, asking questions to which he will never have answers.
Even though he suspected something was wrong with his daughter Chloé, she never spoke to him about the problems she was experiencing at home.
Chloe, when she arrived, she was always happy, he says. I never saw any marks on her. I think she would have told me, but maybe she was hiding things from me because she knew my character regarding these matters. Maybe she wanted to solve her problems herself too. There are just two people on Earth who know, and there is one who is no longer here to tell us. For my part, I didn’t see it coming.
Mr. Rivard has regained sleep, but a thought continues to devour him.
My fear is that she suffered. I think that’s what hurts a father the most; that she suffered the day it happened, he explains, his throat tight. It’s not normal for your child to leave before you. That hurts too. And I will never have an answer. I think it’s going to be a nightmare for the rest of my life, imagining things. There’s nothing that can fix this. Nothing.
The importance of speaking
During this awareness week against violence against women, Gilles Rivard wanted to speak. He wanted us to hear his pain, his drama, but above all his message: the violence must stop.
We need to open our eyes to this. Yes, there are a lot of problems in the world, I agree. But can we, today, take care of our own wives, children, mothers or fathers? We’re not supposed to lose people the way I lost my daughter.
For things to change, Mr. Rivard is categorical: people must talk to each other more and confide in each other when they are experiencing difficulties.
The world needs to open up. If parents have doubts about their children, they should withdraw them. At worst, you argue with your child. Even if you lose it for a year or two, you might have saved a life. Taking the first steps, that’s what’s important.
Open in full screen mode
Raising awareness of violence against women has become something of a mission for Gilles Rivard.
Photo: - / Pascal Robidas
Raising awareness of violence against women has become something of a mission for Mr. Rivard. To make things change, but also to help him grieve and prevent other avoidable deaths.
I don’t know what it’s like to be pushed around at home. I haven’t experienced it. But I put myself in their place. To be crushed, to be manhandled… Someone has to stand up for them. That’s what I try to do, by talking about it as much as possible. To break down taboos […] Things need to move forward. If we don’t talk about it, over time, everything fades away.
But the memory of Chloé is still very present in Mr. Rivard’s heart. He accompanies him everywhere, at every step, and pushes him to persevere in his mission.
My children, I adore them. But it was my first. The one who made me discover what it is to be a father. This is what I find very, very hard.
With information from Pascal Robidas
