TORONTO – A coroner’s inquest into the death of a troubled young woman in prison is set to begin Monday, but serious questions are being raised about how effective it will be.
Nineteen-year-old Ashley Smith choked herself to death in an Ontario prison in 2007 and the inquest is expected to run six to nine months, in addition to a summer break.
But even with an inquest of that length, Smith’s family believes the truth of what happened may not be fully known.
They say the story of why their daughter died isn’t just about the last day of her life, but about the 11 months in federal custody that led up to it and the abuse they say occurred.
Videos the family wants shown at the inquest are said to show Smith being restrained and forcibly injected with antipsychotic drugs, but the coroner has decided not to include them.
The family is concerned procedural wrangling about the videos and other matters will spill over into the first day of the inquest today.
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