The federal attorney general has acknowledged that an inmate’s Charter rights were violated by correctional officers on two occasions in 2022 while the man was in custody, according to a response to a civil claim filed against the Crown.
What the court documents say
The admission appears in a July 13 response to a notice of civil claim lodged in late 2024 by Franjo Perovic, who is presently detained at the Pacific Regional Treatment Centre in Abbotsford. The statement concedes violations in relation to incidents in March and August 2022, while contesting allegations tied to a separate March 2022 event.
Perovic’s claim describes three episodes: an event on or about March 17, 2022, another on March 18, 2022, and a third on Aug. 17, 2022. The lawsuit alleges the force used was “entirely unnecessary and disproportionate” and details physical injuries and subsequent segregation.
“entirely unnecessary and disproportionate”
Allegations and the Crown’s account
According to Perovic’s filing, during the first incident he was grabbed as he exited a shower, forced to the ground, handcuffed, exposed to pepper spray and kneed in the face and back. The claim says he was thereafter dragged naked through a courtyard, made to remain in an excessively hot shower for 20 to 25 minutes, injected with medication and taken to hospital where he awoke with cuts and lacerations. He was later placed in isolation for five days at the Abbotsford treatment centre.
The attorney general’s response offers a different context for at least one of the March events, saying staff intervened after the inmate flooded his cell with toilet water, destroyed bedding and clothing, refused to secure himself and obstructed the cell door, and became assaultive toward employees — conduct that, the response says, led to the use of pepper spray.
August incident and emergency response
The August 2022 episode, as described in the claim, began with a prolonged hold in a cell during a mental-health episode. Court documents say Perovic refused to leave and demanded reasons for the move. The paperwork states he was pepper-sprayed through a gap in the cell door; when the door was opened, the emergency response team restrained him and, the claim alleges, used excessive force including kicking and striking to the head.
- Dates involved: March 17, 2022; March 18, 2022; Aug. 17, 2022.
- Location: Kent Institution (first incident) and Pacific Regional Treatment Centre (later incidents).
- Claims: Use of pepper spray, physical restraint, being dragged naked, prolonged hot shower, injections, hospital transfer, five days in isolation.
The attorney general’s filing concedes breaches in two of the incidents but contests infringements related to the third. The precise legal classification of the acknowledged violations, and whether the Crown intends to settle or contest damages, are matters for the ongoing civil litigation.
Local implications
The matter touches on oversight of federal correctional operations that affect residents in Abbotsford, including the conduct of emergency response teams and treatment of inmates with mental-health needs. It raises questions about use-of-force protocols, medical responses inside custody and the application of segregation.
| Aspect | Source filing |
|---|---|
| Claimant | Franjo Perovic |
| Facility | Pacific Regional Treatment Centre (Abbotsford); Kent Institution (Agassiz) |
| Alleged actions | Pepper spray, physical restraint, dragging, hot-shower confinement, injection, hospital transfer, isolation |
| Crown position | Accepts Charter breach in two incidents; disputes infringement in one incident |
The Crown’s partial concession does not resolve the broader questions of policy or accountability that commonly follow such admissions. The civil suit remains before the courts, where further pleadings, evidence and possibly a trial will determine the facts and any remedies.
Requests for comment from Correctional Service Canada and counsel named in the filings were not addressed in the documents reviewed for this report. Abbotsford residents with concerns about correctional oversight or community impacts may follow the case as it proceeds through the federal courts.
