Two three-year-old boys murdered by their 46-year-old father: Quebec provincial police

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The Quebec coroner’s office has confirmed the identities of two children who police say were murdered on Saturday by their father, who then allegedly killed himself.

A coroner’s spokesman says the victims were Antoine and Tristan Lamontagne, both three years old.

(Courtesy: Facebook/Ian Lamontagne)

The body of Ian Lamontagne, 46, was found with those of his two children at the scene in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Que., a town of about 10,000 people northeast of Montreal.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Catherine Bernard says police believe the man took his own life after killing the two children.

According to TVA Nouvelles, Lamontagne allegedly installed microphones in his ex-spouse’s home and a GPS in her car. The man was also arrested for harassment last Wednesday, then released immediately.

Multiple media reports have identified the father who killed his two young children as Ian Lamontagne. (Courtesy: Facebook/Ian Lamontagne)

Bernard says officers from the violent crimes unit are leading the investigation.

The deaths occurred in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Que., around 60 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

“It’s the ultimate act of taking power over somebody else, either taking their life or taking their children’s lives,” says Claudine Thibaudeau a social worker and spokesperson for SOS violence Conjugal.

The mayor of Notre-Dame-des-Prairies said in a statement that the tragedy has shaken the community and left behind unimaginable pain.

“Killing children is probably the worst thing that a partner or ex-partner can do. It’s even worse than killing her, because now she has to live with the situation,” says Thibaudeau adding more importance needs to be put on cases like this.

Katreena Scott, with the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at Western University, says instances of domestic homicide usually follow multiple warning signs.

Reports indicate Lamontagne was arrested as recently as last Wednesday, then released.

Quebec provincial police declined to offer further details Monday morning and refused to comment on reports that Lamontagne had been arrested and released two days before the killings.

Scott says the factors include an escalation of abuse, or a partner showing signs of depression, suicidal ideation, or obsessive behaviour.

Sabrina Nadeau, director of Quebec City-based family and partner violence prevention organization A c?ur d’homme, says attempts to coerce and control victims are also among one of the most significant risk factors.

Scott underlines the importance of reporting these warning signs, saying domestic homicides are among the most

Suzanne Dauphin says the killings show that mental health problems can strike anyone, and she’s encouraging people to take care of their loved ones if they show signs of psychological distress.

Nathalie Boucher, a resident of Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, taking to Facebook saying “a terrible tragedy shakes the small town.” She says it happened on her street, just a few doors down from where she lives.

Many commenting on the post, saying it’s a terrible or horrible tragedy. Martin Forest on Facebook says he heard the mother’s screams, that it would be etched in many people’s minds.

(Courtesy: Facebook)

(Courtesy: Facebook/Ian Lamontagne)

(Courtesy: Facebook/Ian Lamontagne)

She says police are still investigating the circumstances behind the deaths.

Not an isolated tragedy

A coroner’s report published in November 2022 shows that this type of tragic event is not isolated.

Between 2011 and 2020, 56 minors were victims of femicide – the homicide of a child committed by a parent – ​​according to data from this report. In the majority of these cases, domestic violence was a risk factor for these children.

According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), in most cases, family homicides do not occur suddenly and inexplicably, but are preceded by “conflicts that had been going on for weeks or months, even years.”

“These are not isolated events in those in the life of these people. It’s the combination of intimate partner violence, of coercive control…and unfortunately, in our society, we need to pay more attention in these situations,” added Thibaudeau who says treating domestic violence as a mental health problem leads to escalations like these.

“When we focus on the abusers, pain or distress or mental health, we sort of look away from the danger,” she says. “The person is not losing his temper. He’s using his temper against the person. It’s a question of taking control, taking power over somebody, and this needs to be the main focus when we talk about these situations.”

Thibaudeau says intimate partner violence can happen in any relationship, in any house on your street. Cases like these should not be looked at as a conflict, she says. “It’s not a conflict. It’s not a toxic relationship, because that entails that both of them are toxic. It’s one person who’s toxic. It’s one person who’s violent, who wants to take control. And this is what we should focus on.”

In the last two years SOS Violence Conjugal has had over one-hundred-thousand calls, “That’s extremely high, and it’s not everybody who calls,” says Thibaudeau adding “There’s more than that in our society. So we need to be aware of that and keep an eye on our friends and our family members, especially around separation.”

SOS Violence Conjugal provides tools and support on its website, which aims to help those who are currently in an abusive relationship.