National Family and Survivors Circle Calls for Justice and Accountability Following Statutory Release of Shawn Lamb

Ottawa, ON, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC) stands with the families of Carolyn Sinclair, Lorna Blacksmith, and Tanya Nepinak, who continue to live with the pain and trauma caused by convicted killer Shawn Lamb. The news of his statutory release is another painful reminder that Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people continue to be failed by systems that are meant to protect them.

“It is deeply concerning that someone with such a violent history and lack of value for human life is being reintegrated into the community,” said Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, President of the National Family and Survivors Circle. “Families are retraumatized by decisions like this. Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people have the right to live in safety, free from violence. Those rights must be upheld and protected by every level of government.”

Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people have inherent, constitutional, and human rights to life, safety, dignity, and justice, grounded in Indigenous laws, natural laws, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The continued violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people reflects ongoing systemic racism and the failures of colonial institutions. Governments must act with urgency to implement the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls as legal obligations. These Calls outline the necessary steps to ensure accountability, safety, and systemic change.

NFSC also acknowledges the continued advocacy of the Nepinak family and others calling for the recovery of their loved ones from Winnipeg’s Brady Road landfill. These searches must proceed in a way that honours the victims, centres families, and follows trauma-informed, culturally grounded approaches.

NFSC calls on the Parole Board of Canada, the Correctional Service of Canada, and the federal government to review how release decisions are made for violent offenders, to ensure the safety and dignity of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are treated as a matter of national priority.

We recognize that this subject matter may be distressing for some. For immediate support, please contact the national, independent toll-free, 24/7 support line at 1-844-413-6649 to speak with a counsellor in English, French, Cree, Anishnaabemowin (Ojibway), or Inuktitut.

About the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc.
The National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC Inc.) is a legally incorporated, non-profit organization comprised of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations women with diverse lived experiences. NFSC Inc. works to ensure that families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, survivors of gender-based violence, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are at the center of all efforts to implement the 231 Calls for Justice, the National Action Plan on MMIWG2S+, and the Federal Pathway.

Website: https://familysurvivorscircle.ca

Annette Goerner
spark*advocacy
613-818-6941
annette@sparkadvocacy.ca

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