WATCH: Shock and anger over the decision to release child-killer Alan Schoenborn on supervised day passes. Catherine Urquhart reports.
VANCOUVER – Child-killer Allan Schoenborn has been granted escorted day passes into the community.
Schoenborn will be granted escorted leaves at the discretion of Dr. Johann Brink at Colony Farm Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.
In 2010, Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for killing his three children: 10-year-old Kaitlynne, eight-year-old Max and five-year-old Cordon. He has been held in Colony Farm in Coquitlam since that day.
In a statement from Darcie Clarke, the mother of Kaitlynne, Max and Cordon, she said:
For Allan, he could be in our community at any time without the public’s knowledge because the Review Board does not have the public’s safety as their paramount concern. I live in the Tri-Cities and I will now live in consistent fear that he will move ahead with his threats against me, because as he has said, I am “unfinished business.” Should he escape custody, there are no requirements for Colony Farm to warn the community nor get law enforcement involved in his capture. Instead, they only need to gain assistance of occupational health workers and notify Dr. Brink at Colony Farm.
Schoenborn is subject to a number of conditions. He will not be allowed to acquire, possess or use any firearms, explosives or offensive weapons. He cannot use alcohol or drugs, except as provided by a doctor and Brink may monitor this with urine tests at any time. Schoenborn is also not allowed to have any direct or indirect contact with Clarke, Val Clark, Stacy Galt, Mike Clark and Barb Phillips. He is required to keep the peace and maintain good behaviour and present himself before the Review Board when required.
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WATCH: Richard Stewart, the Mayor of Coquitlam comments on Allan Schoenborn being granted escorted outings into the community
Under questioning from Crown lawyers in late April, Schoenborn refused to talk at his hearing, saying it was his right not to answer.
Previously, he did answer some questions from the board and was asked about his temper.
He said he has a short fuse. “It has been worked on and it is getting better,” he said, adding that when he is called a child-killer it does make him angry.
When asked about escorted visits, he said he would if he was confronted he would turn around and walk away. “Somebody coming up to me, recognizing me, calling me a child-killer and accosting me,” he said, “I would turn to staff and say ‘let’s get out of here.'”
“It hasn’t been put to the test, but it has been drilled into me.”
Schoenborn added he has no intention of trying to escape during his escorted trips.
His psychiatrist, Dr. Marcel Hediger, recommended Schoenborn be allowed escorted outings with Brink’s agreement.
“Dr. Brink has said over and over and over that this isn’t like a dangerous offender,” said Debbie Levitt, the hospital’s lawyer.
Brink told the board the hospital has had a 99 per cent success based on how it evaluates risk.
“I take it extremely seriously, the risk decisions we make,” he said.
Clarke said her family is working with Crown Council to present an application to the Supreme Court to have Schoenborn deemed a high-risk offender. They hope the court will look at the facts without the Review Board decision and find Schoenborn a high-risk offender. If this happens, his escorted leaves will be revoked and he could be held in custody for treatment for up to 36 months.
“This will give me time to rest, feel safe and hopefully one day heal,” Clarke said in her statement.
She is also calling upon Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton to review the Review Board and operations at Colony Farm.
While I am disappointed with this outcome I cannot thank Crown Council Wendy Dawson enough for her thoughtfulness, professionalism empathy and tenacity. She is a true advocate for victims and public safety, and Ms. Dawson would be my choice as the one who should head up a review of Colony Farm and the BC Review Board.
Ministry of Industry and MP for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam James Moore said the decision was “an insult to victims and should trigger a systemic review by the B.C. government.”
When asked to elaborate, he said most people would have much stronger words.
“The system has to protect victims and has to protect community safety first and foremost, and I think we have a failure here,” he said.
“At the core there’s a failure of justice.”
WATCH: Moore’s reaction to the decision
– With files from The Canadian Press
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