Should child killer Allan Schoenborn be allowed unescorted outings into the Tri-Cities with a director’s approval?
That’s the question the BC Review Board will be considering in the coming days after lawyers and psychologists exchanged questions and information Thursday about Schoenborn’s risk to the community based on his recent behaviour.
Schoenborn, who killed his three children in 2008 and now lives at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam, was quiet as he walked into the small room where the children’s uncle sat with his supporters, along with media and others.
Looking about 50 lb. heavier than his arrest photo taken 12 years ago, Schoenborn was subdued, wearing jeans and a brown plaid shirt. A sketch artist hired by a local television station was on hand to capture Schoenborn’s changed appearance with pencil, pen and ink.
For those in the audience, the information relayed showed two sides of Schoenborn. But it will be up to the review board panel to determine if there is a level of risk in allowing a director to approve Schoenborn unescorted outings into the community.
Hospital psychologist Robert Lacroix characterized Schoenborn as someone who had been making progress in individual therapy, was taking anti-psychotic medications, had learned to identify triggers and manage his anger, and was developing insight into his behaviours.
Schoenborn has already been on 20 escorted trips into the community since early December with decreasing security and they have been “unremarkable,” said Robert Lacroix, who said if Schoenborn were permitted to have unescorted trips, they would be for counselling or occupational health appointments, not leisure.
But during questioning, Crown lawyer Michelle Booker suggested that while Schoenborn has made progress in understanding his own behaviour, he still sometimes acts impulsively.
In three incidents, when Schoenborn was provoked by another patient who called him names based on his past offences, the altercation ended in potential violence, with a code white being called to bring in extra security.
In one case, after being provoked, Schoenborn grabbed the lower part of the other patient’s face, in another he splashed milk onto the patient and a third ended up in a tussle on the floor.
Booker also brought up times in the past year when Schoenborn was angry and rude to staff because his escorted outing was delayed, suggesting he should do more than individual counselling to develop skills that would help him integrate into the community.
But Lacroix said Schoenborn only acted when provoked, and in the case of staff, was quick to reflect and apologize.
The four member review panel was expected to hear from Schoenborn Thursday afternoon and is expected to make a decision in the coming days on whether a director could use their discretion to approve an unescorted outing.
One person in the audience remains steadfast against seeing Schoenborn out in the community. Mike Clarke, the uncle of the three children and brother of their mother — Darcie Clarke — who died last year, was in the gallery.
He told The Tri-City News that he didn’t think Schoenborn should be allowed more freedom because of his past actions and current behaviour.
“I’d prefer him to be locked up forever, not just for myself but for the community,” Clarke said.
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Read more on Allan Schoenborn here
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Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for killing his daughter and two sons at his family’s home in Merritt because he was experiencing psychosis at the time. It’s why he’s been living at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and every year a review board considers his level of risk and ability to visit the community.
In a media scrum after the day’s proceedings, Schoenborn’s lawyer Rishi Gill cautioned the media in characterizing the review as an opportunity to give the man unfettered access to the community.
In fact, he said, the question to be addressed by the review board is whether the director should be given the authority to determine whether Schoenborn should be allowed unescorted outings based on the progress he makes.
“Does the director have that power,” Gill said.
