Romana Didulo, known as the “Queen of Canada,” was taken into custody for a second time on Thursday, a day after her and 15 of her supporters were initially arrested and then released following a police operation at their cult’s base in rural Saskatchewan.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated that all 16 individuals were released without charges earlier on Thursday, although five were released with specific conditions. Didulo, aged 50, and Ricky Manz, aged 61, the owner of the former elementary school in Richmound, Sask., where the group resided for two years, were rearrested for breaching their conditions. The Mounties mentioned that Didulo and Manz were prohibited from contacting each other. Didulo faces charges for failing to comply with an undertaking and intimidating a participant in the justice system, while Manz is facing similar charges.
The police released a statement explaining that individuals can be released under undertakings before formal charges are laid. They also mentioned that three other individuals were released with undertakings, but details were withheld as their court information was not yet finalized.
After settling in Richmound, a village located about 365 kilometers west of Regina near the Alberta border, the cult received complaints from locals accusing them of harassment and planning to take over the town. Didulo has been propagating various conspiracy theories through social media, and in October 2023, her group sent threatening emails to a Richmound administrator, hinting at “publicly broadcast execution.”
Manz has been detained and is set to appear in Swift Current Provincial Court on Friday. Didulo, on the other hand, is scheduled to appear in the same court but was not remanded. RCMP Inspector Ashley St. Germaine emphasized during a news conference that individuals can only be held in custody for up to 24 hours without charges, but this does not preclude potential charges at a later stage.
The police raided the compound following a report of a firearm in possession of one of the occupants, leading to the seizure of 13 imitation semi-automatic handguns, ammunition, and numerous electronic devices.
