A caregiver from Port Coquitlam, and the society that contracted her, have been charged after a 15-month investigation into the death of an adult woman who was in their care.
Police began investigating when a 54-year-old woman with a developmental disability was found dead in a private home on October 13, 2018. The investigation determined that the victim did not receive the 'necessaries of life.' Necessaries of life refers to those things necessary to preserve life such as food, shelter, medical attention and protection from harm.
This has been an exhaustive investigation into the care of the victim in the years and months leading up to her death, says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with Coquitlam RCMP. This is a very sad situation. We know these charges can’t bring the victim back, but perhaps they give a voice to a vulnerable person who couldn’t speak for herself.
On January 27, 2020, the BC Prosecution Service approved the following charges against 51-year-old Astrid Charlotte Dahl:
Criminal negligence causing death, section 220(b) of the Criminal Code,
Fail to perform a legal duty to provide necessaries, section 215(2)(b) Criminal Code.
At the time of the victim’s death, Dahl was in a residential home sharing agreement with Kinsight Community Society. The BC Prosecution Service has charged Kinsight with:
Fail to perform a legal duty to provide necessaries, section 215(2)(b) Criminal Code.
Both Dahl, and the Director of Kinsight, have been served with a summons to appear in court on March 9, 2020.
As police we have a duty to protect all vulnerable people whether they are in care or not, says Corporal McLaughlin. If you have information about neglect or abuse that could be criminal, please don’t hesitate to call your police of jurisdiction.
Corporal McLaughlin will hold a media availability today at 10:00 a.m. at the Coquitlam RCMP detachment, 2986 Guildford Way, Coquitlam.