'Scary' number of B.C. patients reported missing from Colony Farm says advocate
200 patients reported missing to RCMP from forensic psychiatric facility over nine years
A total of 200 psychiatric patients have been reported missing from B.C.'s Colony Farm Forensic Hospital over a nine-year period between July of 2006 and July of 2015, according to new documents released through an access to information request.
"When violent individuals are escaping ... then they need to do a better job," said Dave Teixeira, spokesman for Darcie Clarke, whose three children were killed by the hospital's most notorious patient, Allan Schoenborn.
While the documents show a recent improvement in the number of missing patients, listing only four in 2014 compared to 64 in 2007, Teixeira is concerned about what he calls a lack of transparency at the hospital.
Teixeira requested the information because he says the hospital has refused to answer his questions about security and won't commit to contacting Clarke if Schoenborn were to escape.
The hospital is where judges send those found not criminally responsible for a crime or where suspects are assessed for their fitness to stand trial.
Mother of slain children 'lives in fear'
"Darcie Clarke lives in fear," Teixeira says of Clarke, who believes Schoenborn poses a threat.
"There are a percentage of people who are dangerous, violent, repeat offenders who are in that facility ... for them to be able to walk away...200 times in the last nine years is very, very scary" said Teixeira.
Neighbours rarely alerted
No recent data was provided for the last nine months, but, in February, the RCMP issued public alerts after two patients disappeared.
It was David Fomrada's second escape and he was at large for more than a month before he was arrested in Alberta.
"They don't alert the public and we need to know first because we are right next door," said Fred Hulbert, a band councillor who is frustrated with the hospital and angry it took an access to information request to find out how often patients walk away from the forensic facility.
"It's becoming a real concern because some of the most dangerous individuals in the province are over there, and they are not giving proper consideration to protect our nation. Our voices are not being heard," said Hulbert,
Municipal officials kept in dark
"It worries me a lot ... because we don't know when they escape and we don't get to know right away. So we don't know who's walking around here," said Laverne Ketlo, who lives next to the hospital on the Kwikwetlem First Nation.
"I'm not sure why there is this level of secrecy" said Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore.
He says the hospital needs to do a better job communicating with the community and municipal officials.
"We don't get notified when someone isn't returning ... Why wouldn't they want the local government, which also has bylaw officers and other people working in the community all of the time ... We have eyes and ears out on the streets so they might actually see someone and bring them back to the facility," said Moore who met Monday night with the facility's managers to voice his concerns.
Numbers improving significantly
"In most of those instances, they were late" said Angela Draude, who is the executive director of Forensic Psychiatric Services in B.C. amd speaks for the hospital.
Draude says they call police every time a patient is missing, even if they have simply missed a bus while on a day pass in the community.
She says after a spike in what she calls "unauthorized absences," the hospital changed procedures for risk assessments on whether patients were ready for release on unescorted day passes.
"The numbers really have improved. All we can say is that we take this very, very seriously and we are improving all the time. We know the community is concerned about it," said Draude.
Draude told CBC news that no patients are unaccounted for, but the RCMP say Violet Miharija is still unlawfully at large and is wanted on a Canada wide warrant after escaping her court ordered remand for psychiatric assessment on Feb 12, 2016.
However, the hospital says it no longer considers her a patient because in the two months she has been at large, Miharija's remand order has expired, and if caught she will be taken to jail.
Draude would not comment on whether any of the reports to police involve Schoenborn, who is challenging the Crown's application to designate him "high risk" under a new law that would prevent his release and extend his yearly reviews to every three years.
Schoenborn was granted day passes but has yet to use them due to more than 50 reports of violent behavior in the hospital, said Teixeira, who has attended all of his yearly review hearings.
