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B.C. child killer denied mandatory outings from psychiatric hospital

The B.C. Review Board decision kept things status quo for Allan Schoenborn
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Allan Schoenborn is shown in an undated RCMP handout photo. A judge has rejected an application to have a British Columbia man designated a high-risk accused after he was found not criminally responsible for killing his three children nine years ago. (BC RCMP photo)

Allan Schoenborn will not be allowed mandatory escorted outings into the community from his medium-security unit at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam.

The BC Review Board released its decision on Wednesday, following Schoenborn’s annual hearing into his freedoms from the facility. Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for killing his three children in their Merritt home in 2008.

The board said he will still be able to apply for brief escorted outings, a ruling made by the board in November 2017. Doctors have yet to approve such an application.

During the review hearing in January, Schoenborn’s psychiatrist Dr. Marcel Hediger reiterated Crown counsel’s belief that Schoenborn should not be able to go on supervised community outings. He said the man has made some progress in his attitude, his temperament still causes issues with patients and hospital staff.

READ MORE: Allan Schoenborn, who killed his 3 kids, deemed not high-risk

When asked by Schoenborn’s lawyer, Rishi Gill, if a “very controlled” public outing could be possible in the future, Hediger had said “if there were no other individuals around [and staff present], that could be possible.”

Schoenborn has trouble when he feels wronged or disrespected, and tends to interpret “neutral” comments as negative, Hediger said, adding his poor impulse control could cause issues on escorted outings.

READ MORE: Crown, defence spar over if B.C. child killer should get escorted outings

READ MORE: ‘I will now live in consistent fear,’ says mom after Schoenborn granted escorted leaves

Crown continued arguing that Schoenborn’s slow improvement does not justify any sort of leaves, noting that he “continues to face challenges of perception and impulsivity.”

The children’s mother, Darcie Clarke, has said she will live in constant fear when Schoenborn was first granted the ability to apply for escorted visits.

– With files from Katya Slepian


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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