Allan Schoenborn denied additional freedom

COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) – It appears a child killer won’t be getting more freedom.

The BC Review Board says Allan Schoenborn remains a “significant threat to public safety” and has denied his request for mandatory outings.

Dave Teixeira, who speaks for the family, says the ruling was expected.

“What the Review Board decided was to keep things the same — which has been in place for a number of years now — for the director at the hospital to decide when and if Allan Schoenborn should get outings.”

Schoenborn has been living at Colony Farm Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam since being found not criminally responsible for killing his three young children in Merritt in 2008.

Dave Teixeira, who speaks for the family, says the ruling was expected.

“What the Review Board decided was to keep things the same — which has been in place for a number of years now — for the director at the hospital to decide when and if Allan Schoenborn should get outings.”

He says this is the outcome the family was hoping for. “This is the best outcome that we could have, so we’re happy with that.”

However, he says the family is disappointed that the victims are not notified, should Schoenborn be granted outings.

Teixeira says it’s possible that on an outing, Schoenborn and the family could come face to face in the community. “We just want to avoid that happening.”

February 2019 Allan Schoenb… by on Scribd

This was Schoenborn’s seventh full Review Board hearing.

The board says the 50-year-old “has remained mainly settled and free of problematic behaviour. Nevertheless, this responses from time to time have justified a continuing focus on coping and anger management treatment.”

It adds Schoenborn “was not (and has not ever), been granted any form of access to the community.”

Dr. Marcel Hediger, Schoenborn’s treating physician, said Schoenborn’s symptoms of Delusional Disorder, such as delusions or hallucinations “resolved early and have been in remission in response to treatment, except for a breakthrough in 2016-2017 during a period of considerable stress.”

Hediger says Schoenborn’s ability to manage incidents without escalating them has improved, but says “further intervention, management and monitoring is required.”

Reviews take place annually, which Teixeira says it very tough on the family.

“They do feel they are re-victimized every single year … This is not helpful to the family for them to get past all of this.”

“Family members live within a few kilometres of the psychiatric hospital. It’s just a fluke of geography that this is happening. All they want to know is that he’s going to be at, for example, Coquitlam Centre Starbucks between 11 and 12 — they can ensure they’re not there. They have agreed to not publicize that, to not demonstrate, all of these things. But yet, they are not given that simple courtesy. It’s unfortunate.”

 – With files from Hana Mae Nassar