Vanessa Renteria should still be with us. She deserved care, support, and safety—not a violent death at the hands of the police. As a non-English speaking newcomer to Canada, Vanessa was already navigating the challenges of adjusting to a new life. In a moment of vulnerability she needed help. Instead, her life was cut short by the RCMP, in yet another tragic and preventable death rooted in systemic oppression.

Vanessa’s death is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader pattern of state violence that disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and racialized women—particularly in moments of vulnerability. The system consistently fails racialized women who need support. Rather than responding with compassion and care, the police respond with violence.

This is not simply an issue of police brutality—it is femicide.

The Intersection of Racism, Xenophobia, and Misogyny

Vanessa’s story exemplifies the multiple layers of discrimination that racialized, non-English speaking women experience. As a newcomer to Canada, she may have already been navigating linguistic and cultural barriers. These barriers, along with the discrimination embedded in society, further isolate racialized women from support systems, and when the police become involved, these women are seen as a threat rather than a person in need of care. The police’s lethal response highlights the dangerous intersection of racism, xenophobia, and misogyny that women like Vanessa face. Her death is a result of these layers of oppression, which continue to be embedded in our systems of so-called ‘protection.’ 

Anti-Black Racism: A Death Sentence When Seeking Support 

For Black women in Canada, calling or having the police called on their behalf for response and/or support after intimate partner violence, sexual violence, during a mental health crisis, or a wellness check can be a death sentence. State violence is a constant threat, particularly in moments of vulnerability. Black women are disproportionately subjected to this violence. The police response to Vanessa is emblematic of the broader issue of anti-Black racism within Canada’s policing institutions. Black women are seen as more dangerous, more aggressive,and less deserving of care— harmful perceptions that are embedded in colonial roots that span across race, gender, sexuality and language. This is not just a failure of individual officers; it is a systemic issue. Policing, as an institution, was never designed to protect or support racialized communities. Instead, it has historically been a tool of control, function to uphold white supremacy and protect property, with devastating consequences for Black and Indigenous women.

Police Violence Against Indigenous Women

While Vanessa’s death highlights the lethal consequences of anti-Black racism, Indigenous women in Canada face similar threats of state violence. Recent reports indicate that eight Indigenous people have died during altercations with police in Canada in recent months, highlighting the urgent need for accountability. The ongoing deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police serves as a stark reminder of the violent colonial legacy that continues to permeate Canada’s institutions. This violence against Indigenous women is part of the broader pattern of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,Girls and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S), a crisis that remains largely ignored by state authorities.

As recently discussed in The Globe and Mail, Indigenous leaders are calling for increased accountability for police actions and the urgent need for systemic changes to protect Indigenous lives. The deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police are not anomalies—they are part of a long history of state violence against Indigenous communities, rooted in colonialism and structural racism.

State Violence as Femicide

Femicide is the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender. While this term is often used in the context of intimate partner violence, it is critical to expand this definition to include deaths like Vanessa’s and those of Indigenous women who are killed by police. The state, through its policing arm, is responsible for these deaths. These women were failed not just by individuals but by an entire system that treats racialized women as less worthy of protection and care.

Police violence, when directed at women of colour, is an act of misogyny intertwined with racism. It perpetuates the violent message that Black and Indigenous women’s lives are expendable, especially when they seek help during their most vulnerable moments. Vanessa’s death is not just a result of a ‘broken system’—it is the intended outcome of a system functioning as it was designed, with deadly consequences for women of colour.

We Must Demand Accountability

To honour Vanessa’s life and to prevent future tragedies, we must demand change at every level of society. Continuing to call for feminist oversight of police investigations of Gender Based Violence and Sexual Violence, accountability for how victims of GBV and SV are treated within the Criminal Legal System and calling for an end to police involvement in mental health crisis response is just the beginning. 

Trauma responses and mental health crises should not be handled by armed officers trained to control. We need to build and strengthen systems of care rooted in anti-racism, decolonization, and feminist principles. We must invest in community-led, culturally safe alternatives to policing that prioritize care over control, compassion over coercion.

For too long, Black, Indigenous, and racialized women have borne the brunt of both state and interpersonal violence. Vanessa’s death must serve as a rallying cry to dismantle these systems of oppression.

At Salal, we believe in a world where every person is valued and supported, and where violence against women—especially violence sanctioned by the state—becomes a relic of the past. We grieve Vanessa Renteria, and we stand in solidarity with all those fighting for justice and accountability. Her life mattered. Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. Women’s lives matter.

Together, we must commit to creating a future where the deaths of women like Vanessa are not inevitable, but unimaginable.

While Salal has taken a broader view of the systemic issues racialized women face in the world, we would like to direct you to BWSS (Battered Women’s Support Services), which has issued press releases specifically addressing this case.

Updated on October 23rd, 2024: Following feedback regarding the details of Vanessa’s death, we have revised the language in this blog to more accurately reflect the context.