The Ottawa police disciplinary committee has condemned investigator Helen Gross for misconduct, after it was found that she initiated unauthorized personal investigations into child fatalities, thereby overstepping her authority and causing internal disruptions and widespread public concern.

The decision, issued this week, followed lengthy hearings that revealed Gross – who was working within the major crimes unit – accessed sensitive information and medical files of mothers who had lost their children, without obtaining proper consent or official permission, as part of what she described as an attempt to understand whether COVID-19 vaccinations were linked to these deaths.

The committee deemed Gross's actions a flagrant violation of police ethics, emphasizing that her actions were not driven by any administrative or judicial request but were instead a personal initiative lacking professional basis.

The case sparked widespread controversy in public opinion, especially since Gross expressed, during the hearings, her belief in a potential link between vaccinations and fatalities, a stance that contradicts the medical and scientific recommendations upheld in Canada.

While the penalty the investigator will face has not yet been determined – which could range from reprimand to dismissal – Ottawa police officials considered that what occurred “undermines public confidence in the security institution,” and calls for internal reforms to ensure respect for boundaries of authority and privacy.

The case is considered one of the most prominent disciplinary issues in the modern history of the Ottawa police, carrying professional, ethical, and even political implications amid the escalating debate over medical information and unauthorized security interventions.