Convicted child murderer Allan Schoenborn has been granted “some community access” in the form of escorted day leaves

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But he was not suffering from schizophrenia when he said that, so whats his excuse here?

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A re-hearing is being held to re-assess the decision to grant the Director of the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital the power to grant Schoenborn escorted day passes onto the local community at his discretion when he was of the opinion that it was appropriate to do so. NOTE - contrary to earlier reports Schoenborn was not granted escorted day passes outright.

Such a re-hearing is unusual. The basis upon which it was convened was allegedly due to the fact that it was unknown to the Medical Review Board that Darcie Clarke was living in a community (Coquitlam) into which Schoenborn could be visiting on his escorted leaves should they be granted.

The B.C. Review Board began a rare re-hearing Thursday afternoon into its decision to grant a father who killed his three children escorted day passes into the community.

Thursday's re-hearing at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam was ordered after a public outcry over the board's decision on April 6 to grant Allan Dwayne Schoenborn, 42, escorted access to the community.

At the first hearing, Schoenborn's lawyer asked that his client be allowed to occasionally leave the psychiatric hospital to go to Starbucks for a coffee, attend medical appointments and swim with other patients at the hospital.

The board granted that first request under strict conditions, finding that while Schoenborn's condition had improved, he was still suffering from delusional thoughts, had a striking sense of entitlement and a "profound lack of insight into his illness."

The board's first decision was met with widepsread outrage, in part because Schoenborn's ex-wife and mother of the children he killed, Darcie Clark, now lives in Coquitlam.

Hundreds of Port Coquitlam residents rallied Wednesday outside their town's city hall to oppose Schoenborn's day passes and the decision was criticized by local Conservative MP James Moore and NDP MLA Mike Farnworth.

B.C. Attorney General Barry Penner said he was working with federal officials to change the Criminal Code to prevent people who are found not criminally responsible for killing others from receiving escorted day passes.

A week after the first decision was released, board chair Bernd Walter ordered a rare re-hearing, saying the board wasn't aware when it made its first decision that Clark lived in Coquitlam, because her address wasn't listed on her victim impact statement.

The board's original decision didn't automatically entitle Schoenborn to day passes. Instead, it gave the director of the psychiatric hospital the discretion to consider day passes when Schoenborn is considered ready for them.

In 2008, while visiting the home of his estranged wife while she was out, Schoenborn stabbed to death his daughter Kaitlynne, 10, and smothered his sons Max, 8, and Cordon, 5.

He then hid out in the hills above Merritt for days until he was found by a trapper and arrested.

Schoenborn was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

After a lengthy trial, a judge found last year that Schoenborn was not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Hearing+begins+child+killer+Allan+Schoenborn/4654840/story.html#ixzz1KBznzV40

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As reported Schoenborn has withdrawn his request for escorted day passes.

Another reporter gets it wrong - Schoenborn was not convicted.

Convicted

child-killer Allan Schoenborn has withdrawn his request for escorted community access from the Coquitlam psychiatric hospital where he is being held, saying he didn’t know of mother Darcie Clark’s “whereabouts or poor condition,” and didn’t want to cause any further hardship.

http://www.theprovince.com/health/Child+killer+Schoenborn+withdraws+request+community+access+claims+ignorance+about+mother/4657507/story.html#ixzz1KCS2J8rD

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Schoenborn is requesting a transfer to Manitoba. BTW Allan Schoenborn is not in fact a "convicted child murderer". To be convicted of crime there must be both the actus reus (the criminal act) and you must also have the mens rea (criminal intent) to be convicted of a crime. He was determined to be not criminally responsible as he did not possess the requisite mens rea.

The B.C. man found not criminally responsible for killing his three children in Merritt in 2008 has requested a move to Manitoba, in his fourth review hearing at the Colony Farm Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam.

Schoenborn wishes to move to Selkirk to be closer to his mother. His treatment team and the Crown support the move but the B.C. Review Board has reserved its decision.

Speaking at the review, Schoenborn said his mother has visited him seven times in last year. He told the board she loves him and he loves her.

"There's only select movement in the hospital now and it's starting to become bothersome. And, I miss my Mom," he said.

It was acknowledged Schoenborn continues to be a risk to public safety and there should be no change to his custodial order. All parties agreed a transfer would be in his interest.

Schoenborn's doctor told the board, "At this time of his care he still requires detention in psychiatric hospital."

The Crown said Schoenborn's re-integration will be better addressed and management of risk will be better managed in Manitoba.

No one from the family of Schoenborn's estranged wife, Darcie Clarke, spoke at the hearing.

Attorneys General in B.C. and Manitoba would both have to approve his transfer to Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Annual hearings

Allan Schoenborn has had three review hearings so far and each time his former

wife and her family have said they are fearful he will be released.

Under existing laws, Schoenborn is entitled to an annual hearing before the B.C. Review Board at the hospital he now calls home.

In 2011, the

review board ruled he should be eligible for escorted visits in Port Coquitlam

, near his former wife's home in Coquitlam, but the decision was reversed following widespread community outrage.

Mike Clarke says his sister Darcie remains terrified he will be released.

"If he were to get out of jail, or out of where he is now being held, he would go after my sister and he would finish the job that he started," says Clarke.

Last week, the federal Conservative government announced new amendments to the Criminal Code that include stringent restrictions for people found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the changes would create a new legal designation to protect the public from an accused person designated as "high-risk non-criminally responsible" and ensure victims would be notified when they are discharged.

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart told Kathryn Gretsinger, guest host of CBC Radio One's

The Early Edition,

he welcomes the new federal changes.

"I think we now have probably struck the balance that needed to be struck. It's never going to be perfect, but these are challenging illnesses, there's no question," he said.

Review board chair questions amendments

But Bernd Walter, the chairman of the B.C. Review Board, says the new amendments could actually have the opposite of the desired effect by discouraging plea bargains that see mentally ill offenders opt for treatment.

"You're going to have a lot more mentally disordered people who have gone to jail for a period of time, have been untreated, and are back on the street untreated. So in that sense it doesn't really make people much safer," said Walter.

Defence lawyers may be less inclined to enter a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder if the result is a three-year minimum sentence, Walters says.

"Nobody was at risk with the previous system from the review board process. Recidivism is much lower than for the convicted population, and they're already spending three to five times longer indoors, so the question becomes, 'What is it that we're trying to fix here?'" Walter said.

The last time Schoenborn faced a B.C. Review Board hearing, he was severely beaten afterwards by another patient. Hospital officials believe the assault was brought on by his notoriety.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...view-board.html