Mentally ill father who killed his three kids up for review in B.C.
The case of a British Columbia man found
not criminally responsible for killing his three children because of a
mental illness is up for review, two years after a provincial board
opened the door to him receiving supervised day trips.
Allan
Schoenborn has yet to be granted escorted day passes, despite the B.C.
Review Board delegating the authority to grant them in May 2015 to the
director of the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in suburban Vancouver.
Schoenborn stabbed his 10-year-old
daughter Kaitlynne and smothered his two sons Max and Cordon, eight and
five, at the family’s home in Merritt in April 2008. A court ruled he
was experiencing psychosis at the time and believed he was saving his
children from a life of crime, and physical and sexual abuse.
Schoenborn’s
annual review board hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. His lawyers,
Diane Nielsen and Dante Abbey, have not said whether they will request
any changes to their client’s custody order.
“Nobody wants an untreated and potentially dangerous person on the street,” Abbey said in an interview.
“The
board is ultimately responsible for striking that balance between
protection of the public and safety. And, frankly, they’re not doing a
bad job.”
Escorted outings are
typically brief, lasting no longer than two hours, Nielsen and Abbey
said in an email. Patients are accompanied by at least two staff members
and visits are planned at pre-arranged locations near the hospital.
The
Crown is also applying separately in B.C. Supreme Court to have
Schoenborn designated a high-risk accused, which would end the
possibility of any outings, and extend the time between annual review
hearings up to three years. Only a new court order could reverse the
designation.
Former prime minister
Stephen Harper used Schoenborn as an example when introducing the new
designation, which can be applied to people found not criminally
responsible because of mental disorder.
Lawyer
Rishi Gill, who represents Schoenborn in the high-risk accused
proceedings, described the change as a “huge waste of resources” that
punishes people with mental illness.
“This
legislation is purely political,” Gill said, adding that Schoenborn’s
next appearance in that case is scheduled for mid-June.
The
2015 review board decision says Schoenborn was diagnosed as having a
delusional disorder, a substance abuse disorder and paranoid personality
traits, but his symptoms have been in remission for many years.
The
document also describes how Schoenborn has suffered “significant
negative attention” while in custody because of the notoriety of his
offences including taunts, name-calling, threats and physical assault.
The
B.C. Review Board sits in panels of three and can order someone to
remain in custody or grant them either a conditional or absolute
discharge. Custody orders can be tailored to individual cases, Nielsen
explained.
Schoenborn’s most recent
review hearing was in May 2015. He consented to forego a hearing in 2016
while hearings were held on whether he should be designated a high-risk
accused.
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