The murders of three young children by their father in Merritt four years ago could have been prevented, says B.C.’s children’s watchdog.
A report — by children and youth representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond — found that if the province’s social safety net had worked, the April 2008 deaths of Kaitlynne Schoenborn, 10, and her brothers Max, 8, and Cordon, 5, would have been avoided.
The report says the co-ordination and communication between the child-welfare, income-assistance, justice and mental-health systems did not work properly and public services failed to protect the family.
Allan Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for killing his children because of mental illness and remains in a psychiatric hospital in Coquitlam.
Turpel-Lafond found the province had been dealing with Allan Schoenborn’s violence and mental-health issues since 1999 but failed to do any followup or preventive measures.
“The mental illness of these children’s father went untreated and was never adequately considered a risk factor in planning for the safety of the children with their mother,” she told reporters Thursday.
“This family, essentially, fell through the cracks,” she added.
Turpel-Lafond called for improved training for social workers and a co-ordinated system to support and protect children exposed to domestic violence.
Children’s Minister Mary McNeil said the ministry is acting immediately to establish a domestic-violence unit “that will be accountable for delivering a comprehensive, co-ordinated action plan to strengthen supports to children and families who are impacted by domestic violence.”
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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