2 Toronto cops who mocked woman with Down syndrome appear before tribunal

Two Toronto police officers who were recorded mocking a 29-year-old woman with Down syndrome made their first appearance before a police tribunal on Tuesday.

Const. Sasa Sljivo and Const. Matthew Saris did not say how they were pleading, nor were the charges against them read out during the brief hearing.

Another hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 19.

Video credit: The Toronto Star

In November of last year, Pamela Munoz and her two daughters were pulled over by police in Etobicoke for a traffic stop. Months later, Munoz became aware that the officers were mocking her daughter Francie, who has Down Syndrome.

The officers have previously issued a written apology, calling the incident a “lapse in judgment.” However, Munoz said that’s not enough.

She said the officers should at least apologize in person, though she believes a harsher penalty is warranted.

“In our heart, a great outcome would have been for them to leave the Toronto Police Service, because it’s shameful for our police officers to feel that way,” she said after the hearing.

“At my work, if I made a comment like that, I would be out that same day.”

Munoz told 680 NEWS she feels like an after-thought because she only received the written apology from police after she took her story to the media.

“When I got back to work, I was called again by the [television] station to come back to see what kind of reaction we had to the apology letter. We were shocked because we had never seen an apology letter. It was sent to the media,” she said.

Munoz said her daughter received a lot of support ahead of the police officers’ appearance at Tuesday’s tribunal.

“She was quite anxious about today. Last night, a lot of her friends called her to say that they would be meeting her here. I think that set her at ease a little better,” she said.

She also said the apology was not directly addressed to her daughter, and she is looking for a public apology from the two police officers.

Munoz said they had hoped the matter would be resolved in a day and are disappointed that it was postponed. She said the family is also filing a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.