There’s a growing concern about what’s happening behind the gates of Coquitlam’s Colony Farm, a psychiatric hospital where many dangerous patients are sent for treatment.
It’s supposed to be safe and secure, but last week a counselor was stabbed by a patient, raising public safety concerns.
“We are able to confirm that a serious accident happened,” says Dr. Johann Brink, clinical services director at the Forensic Psychiatric Institute. “It is obviously our concern at this moment, that our staff member receives the support that he needs.”
But the MLA for the area – Mike Farnworth – has his own concerns.
“There was a carving knife apparently used,” says Farnworth. “How did an inmate at a forensic psychiatric institute come into possession of a carving knife?”
The forensic psychiatric patient is 24-year-old Robert Anthony Schroyen.
Schroyen is now facing attempted murder and aggravated assault charges.
But Schroyen is a forensic psychiatric patient owing to June 2010 charges of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and uttering threats.
He was found to be not criminally responsible on all charges and sent to Colony Farm.
But despite the new and the old charges, Schroyen is not in jail…he is still at the hospital.
Schroyen will be remaining at the Colony Farm while he awaits the outcome on the latest batch of serious criminal charges.
“It is not a prison, it is a hospital,” says Brink. “We treat them, we rehabilitate them, we provide them with programs and assistance, including cooking and budgeting, to assist with community re-integration.”
He insists there is no violent pattern despite the recent string of incidents at the hospital.
“We need to remember that this is a challenging population.”
Staff at the hospital carry personal alarms, and there are numerous safety protocols for their protection, but given Thursday’s stabbing, there will be a thorough review.
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