The Quebec government is pledging to look into the services offered to a 40-year-old father who is believed to have killed his two young children before taking his own life in Montreal earlier this week.
Danielle McCann, the province’s health minister, described what Montreal police suspect to be a double murder and suicide as a terrible tragedy.
“I want to say first we are all grieving. I’m grieving,” McCann said on Thursday. “I think the population of Quebec is grieving.”
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The mother of the children arrived at their bungalow late Tuesday night to discover the bodies of her partner Jonathan Pomares and their seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter.
The children’s bodies bore signs of violence, according to police. Autopsies have since been ordered into their deaths.
The scene was particularly violent, according to police. The officers who first responded were taken off the case and offered assistance.
Investigators spent nearly 12 hours at the scene at the intersection of Curatteau Street and Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue and met with neighbours in the area. Police also had to track down family overseas to advise them of the victims’ deaths — neighbours say they had moved to Canada from France.
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As Montreal police continue their investigation, McCann confirmed Thursday that services were being provided to Pomares before his death. She also confirmed that there was a call in place for Quebec’s youth services.
“We will review everything that was done,” she said.
The family’s red-brick home has now become the scene of a makeshift memorial. The wooden steps leading to the front door are lined with stuffed animals.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the Quebec suicide prevention line at 1-866-277-3553.
— With files from Global News’ Raquel Fletcher and the Canadian Press