Allan Schoenborn is shown in an undated RCMP handout photo. Schoenborn, the British Columbia father who killed his three children, will not be transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Manitoba, as he requested.The Canadian Press
A senior official in B.C.'s criminal justice branch has rejected Allan Schoenborn's bid to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Manitoba, although the request was approved by the board that manages those found not criminally responsible for crimes.
The decision, announced Monday, means that Mr. Schoenborn will remain in the Lower Mainland psychiatric hospital where he has been held since being found not criminally responsible in the 2008 killings of his three young children.
After reviewing all information, a statement said, the assistant deputy attorney-general for the province's criminal justice branch concluded that Mr. Schoenborn should not be transferred to the Selkirk Mental Health Centre near Winnipeg.
"The [deputy attorney-general] is satisfied that at this time, protection of the public weighs in favour of Schoenborn remaining under the supervision and treatment of Forensic Psychiatric Services in B.C."
In 2008, Mr. Schoenborn – who had a long history of mental illness, including delusional disorder – killed Kaitlynne, 10, Max, 8, and five-year-old Cordon, while they were in his care at the family home in Merritt, B.C., where they lived with their mother, Darcie Clarke.
In February, Mr. Schoenborn appeared before a hearing at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam, and said he would like to be transferred to Manitoba so he could reside there in a facility where he would be closer to his mother.
"My family is in Winnipeg. I was born and raised in Winnipeg. It's the right place to be," Mr. Schoenborn said, answering questions from his lawyer.
The hearing was held by the British Columbia Review Board, an independent tribunal that makes and reviews orders for individuals facing criminal charges who have been found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Within hours or Mr. Schoenborn's application for a move, the board endorsed the proposal. However, the criminal justice branch has the authority to reject that decision.
Members of Ms. Clarke's family were wary about the move to Manitoba because members of the family live in Winnipeg and feared encounters with Mr. Schoenborn if he were given escorted day passes from the facility.
Mr. Schoenborn is next scheduled for a February, 2014, hearing as part of an annual process of review of his case to determine if he should remain in hospital.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper brought renewed attention to the case when he spotlighted the tragedy as his government introduced legislation to address concerns about persons found not criminally responsible for their conduct, including a new high-risk designation with a higher threshold for release from custody.
Ian Bailey