Vigil planned for Ontario mother killed in front of her children in Ottawa park

A memorial service is planned for Tuesday evening in memory of the Ottawa woman killed in what police are calling a devastating case of femicide.

The Hunt Club Community Association says the vigil, organized by the community’s alderman, will take place Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Paul Landry Park.

The park is the same place where 36-year-old Bkti Berhe was killed last week.

Around 11:25 a.m. Thursday, police responded to reports of a woman stabbed at a park near Uplands and Paul Anka’s car in Ottawa.

Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson told reporters Friday that Berhe, a mother of four, was at the park with her two children at the time of the attack.

“Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries that morning in front of his two children,” Ferguson said.

“Witnesses at the scene quickly came to Brkti’s aid, helped protect the children and provided a detailed description of the suspect who fled in the car.”

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A suspect was seen fleeing in a vehicle and was arrested near exit 66 on Highway 417 outside of Ottawa. Fsha Tekhle, 36, of Montreal, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Police alleged that Tekhle had a domestic relationship with one of the victim’s family members.

“This devastating incident is a case of femicide. We take these matters very seriously and our hearts go out to the family at this time,” Ferguson said, adding that Tekhle would likely be returning to Montreal by the time he was captured.

Femicide is a term generally defined as the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender.

The European Institute for Gender Equality states that femicide can take different forms, such as the killing of women due to intimate partner violence, the torture and misogynistic killing of women, and the killing of women and girls in the name of “honour”.

To help Berhe’s family, the Hunt Club, a local Ottawa community group, organized a collection of donations for the family to help cover the children’s funeral costs and expenses.

The group is also curating a collection of diapers, snacks and food for Berhe’s four children.

The group is also collecting condolences for the family, who have asked for privacy at this time.

You can find more information on how to help on the group’s website. Facebook page.

A. GoFundMe It was also established to support Berhe’s family.

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