The B.C. government says proposed changes to the province’s Name Act will prevent convicted criminals from legally changing their names.
“Currently, anyone can seek to have their name legally changed under the Name Act, including people who have committed offences that cause serious harm to others,” B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in the legislature on Monday.
“Allowing these individuals to hide their identity through a name change is extremely troubling to victims and their families and can result in safety concerns for members of the public.
“The bill will amend the Name Act so that a person who has been convicted of a prescribed offence, declared to be a dangerous or long-term offender, or found not criminally responsible for a prescribed offence due to a mental disorder, will be prohibited from making a legal name change for the purpose of this name change prohibition.”
Last month, the revelation that a notorious B.C. child-killer has changed his name and is seeking to keep his new identity secret drew widespread condemnation.
A review hearing for Allan Schoenborn, who killed his three children in Merritt, B.C., 16 years ago, revealed that Schoenborn legally changed his name.
“It’s obvious to all British Columbians that nobody should be able to evade accountability for their criminal activities by changing their name in this province,” Premier David Eby said in April.
Global News was the only media outlet to oppose Schenborn’s application for a publication ban on his new name. The BC Review Board ruled in the broadcaster’s favour, meaning that his name has now been made public.
It has now been revealed that Schoenborn’s new name is Ken John Johnson.
Schoenborn is not the first notorious killer to try and distance themselves from their past with a new name. Karla Homolka, Kelly Ellard and Vince Li all have new names, though all identities are in the public realm.
Dix said the name change prohibition will apply to adult offenders who are 18 years old and older, as well as young offenders who are under 18 but are convicted of prescribed offences and sentenced as adults.
“This bill will amend the Name Act so that the Vital Statistics Agency is able to request, receive and review the results of criminal records checks for applicants who seek to change their names,” he added.
-with files from Simon Little