A Nunavut judge says Joanne Nutarak, shown in Ottawa a few months before her 2023 death, suffered years of abuse at the hands of her partner Daryl Quaraq. Justice Mark Mossey sentenced Quaraq to nine years in prison for manslaughter in a Pond Inlet courtroom Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Christine Agnetsiak)
Pond Inlet woman’s family grieves after killer sentenced
Victim’s family had hoped the man would have been tried for 2nd-degree murder, cousin says
The family of Pond Inlet woman Joanne Nutarak remembered her as always happy and helpful, as her killer was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday after taking a plea deal for manslaughter.
“Sometime during the afternoon of April 8, 2023, Daryl Quaraq, while heavily intoxicated, killed his longtime intimate partner and mother to their four young children,” Justice Mark Mossey said while delivering his sentence in a Pond Inlet courtroom.
The Nunavut Court of Justice provided Nunatsiaq News a link to an audio feed of the hearing.
Nutarak, 31, died from a stab wound to the heart, Mossey said.
“She was a big part of my life and we did a lot of stuff together because her mom and my mom were really close,” Christine Agnetsiak, Nutarak’s cousin, said in an interview Thursday.
“She was one of the happiest people you would ever meet, no matter what she was going through in life. She would always make people happy. She would always make people laugh, make light of every situation, and she was a very caring person and loved her children.”
“We try to grieve as much as we can and accept the loss, but it’s a great loss for our family,” she said.
Agnetsiak, who lives in Ottawa, described returning to Pond Inlet for Nutarak’s funeral on April 25, 2023, and visiting the home where she was killed.
“But when I did come back for her funeral I noticed, when I entered the house, like within our family there’s a big, big, heavy feeling and I don’t know how to explain it. It’s hard to be there,” she said.
The judge said Quaraq, 35, had been charged or convicted of “several criminal offences for harming Joanne” between 2013 and 2022.
“Multiple convictions for assault causing bodily harm and assault paint a clear picture of the abusive relationship Joanne lived and ultimately died within,” Mossey said.
On Wednesday, Crown lawyer Philippe Plourde read out victim impact statements during the first day of Quaraq’s two-day sentencing hearing.
“She was a quiet yet funny individual, raised in a loving environment by her parents … a pillar of the community who worked tirelessly to help others, starting a food bank, teaching young people to sew and providing a safe haven for those avoiding abuse,” Verna Strickland, Nutarak’s cousin, wrote in her statement.
“I want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of those who worked to bring justice to Joanne’s family.
“It was not an easy task, but I know it has been especially difficult for her children and I want to recognize their pain and resilience.”
Nutarak’s aunt, Martha Agnetsiak, said she has “flashbacks” because she discovered her niece’s body. “I have mobility issues and Joanne used to help me with everything around the house. I am afraid of Daryl Quaraq.”
With a trial on the original second-degree murder charge scheduled for Jan. 14, Crown and defence lawyers agreed to a plea deal for the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Quaraq was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison. Because he already served time in jail before his trial, he will be released in a little less than six years.
Christine Agnetsiak said Thursday the family was not happy with the plea deal and would have preferred a trial on the second-degree murder charge.
“I feel angry and I feel that there’s injustice for Joanne because there was enough evidence to go along with a [second-degree] murder charge,” she said.
The fact both lawyers agreed to a manslaughter conviction was “really hard for our family, because we know that she was murdered and her life was taken in a tragic way and it could have been prevented,” Christine Agnetsiak said.
“It would be really hard for our family and really triggering; none of our family family feel safe around him,” she said, referring to the possibility Quaraq might return to Pond Inlet in less than six years.
By giving such a light sentence for a horrendous crime, it really devalues and demeans the victim and her life. My condolences to the victims family.
Joanne Nutarak’s death underscores systemic failures in how our justice system addresses intimate partner violence, particularly in Inuit communities. The justice system can prioritize procedural closure over genuine justice. It suggests that the system may be more focused on maintaining order and institutional legitimacy than on protecting vulnerable individuals or addressing deep-seated social issues. In the justice system, truth is incidental, and closure is mistaken for justice. What we call justice is merely procedure dressed in robes…
The least the Crown should do, out of respect for the family and friends of the victim, is to explain the decision to accept a plea to a lesser offence, manslaughter. Being drunk isn’t by itself a reason to reduce murder to manslaughter, so there must be other reasons that made the Crown change his mind and accept such a ‘deal’.
Another Missing or Murdered indigenous woman. Where are the protesters?.. this is exactly the times there should be protests as this is who is murdering indigenous woman… The justice system could care less.. its so sad..