Parents who kill their own children often exhibit warning signs: experts

In unique audio obtained by W5, a caseworker from Jewish Household and Baby Service of Larger Toronto, admits to warning her bosses in regards to the escalating behaviour of Robin Brown, simply days earlier than he and his daughter, Keira, had been discovered useless on the backside of a cliff at Ontario’s Rattlesnake Level, a conservation space west of Toronto. Brown had parenting time with Keira that weekend.

Keira’s mom, Jennifer Kagan-Viater, and present husband, Philip Viater, say the caseworker, solely known as Amanda within the tape, came around them 10 days after the four-year-old’s dying. Philip, a household lawyer, recorded that dialog.

“The behaviours (Robin Brown) was exhibiting had been the identical behaviours in those that exit and kill their youngsters,” Amanda mentioned. “I don’t deny that, I’m getting chills. I don’t deny saying that and I’ve been very clear with my supervisor and my above supervisor.”

In a Assertion of Declare filed by the Viaters in Ontario Superior Courtroom on June 22, 2021, the couple names Jewish Household and Baby Service, the caseworker and several other different defendants.

They allege that within the months main as much as Keira’s dying, Brown was exhibiting “escalating behaviour” like failing to return Keira again to Jennifer and Philip on three events.

“She's supposed to come back residence at a sure time and we're ready. We're ready and Keira isn't there. It’s terrifying,” Jennifer mentioned.

For Keira’s security, Jennifer filed an emergency movement on Jan. 28, 2020 to oversee or droop Brown’s entry to Keira.

“This was an especially harmful predator who by no means ought to have had one iota of unsupervised time with this little woman,” Jennifer says.

The decide who presided over that emergency movement, Justice George MacPherson, discovered the proof “persuasive and compelling” however adjourned the matter in order that Jewish Household and Baby Service may full an investigation.

The decide mentioned the group had “eyes and ears on the bottom” and will “request pressing reduction at any time throughout the investigation.”

Within the audio recording, the caseworker concerned with that investigation, and who had interviewed Brown, tells Jennifer and Philip that she had “zero proof that he would do one thing like this.” However she admits she had a foul feeling.

“Did I've a intestine feeling? Not that he would kill her,” she explains. “However I had a intestine feeling that he would escalate”.

Shockingly, Jennifer says this was not the primary time the caseworker had informed the household about these issues. Jennifer says she acquired a name from the caseworker on Friday, Feb. 7, simply days earlier than Keira’s dying.

“(She) admitted that Mr. Brown was the kind of individual to kill or hurt his personal baby to get again at me,” Jennifer informed W5.

“And she or he mentioned that she had contacted her supervisor and he or she wished a safety utility. And the supervisor had mentioned it may wait till Monday.”

Keira was discovered useless a day earlier than that, on Sunday Feb. 9, 2020.

Within the Assertion of Declare, Jennifer and Philip allege that Jewish Household and Baby Service and its staff “failed to guard” Keira, and “knew or should have identified that Keira was in an imminent threat of hazard and did not intervene.”

W5 requested Jewish Household and Baby Service for an on-camera interview, however they declined to touch upon any “contact the group could or could not have had with a household,” citing confidentiality.

Jennifer and Philip say that Jewish Household and Baby Service’s failure was the final in an extended line of systemic failures that preceded Keira’s dying.

And they're satisfied that Keira’s dying was not unintended, however relatively a revenge killing perpetrated by Robin Brown.

A coroner’s report didn't decide a reason behind dying, however famous that Halton Regional Police had recognized a number of threat components for home violence in Keira’s father. The case was referred to Ontario’s Home Violence Demise Evaluate Committee.

Jennifer says there have been indicators her ex-husband might be harmful, explaining how he emotionally and bodily abused her. However she says the worst of it concerned his controlling behaviour, which began quickly after they had been married in 2013.

“He behaved more and more an increasing number of controlling with me,” she explains. “I insist to have the passwords to all your units. I insist to know your whereabouts always, you realize, changing into extremely jealous,” she mentioned.

In 2017, when she tried to lift issues about Robin Brown’s abusive behaviour in a trial concerning Keira’s custody, Justice Douglas Grey mentioned, “I'm going to disregard it, it isn't related.”

Professor Peter Jaffe, an skilled in violence in opposition to ladies and kids at Western College in London, Ont., says that was a grave mistake. As a result of if a mom is in danger, he says kids are in danger too.

“They're in danger when it comes to emotional and psychological well-being by being in that setting, they usually could also be in danger for being damage within the crossfire or being killed in excessive instances,” he says.

Jaffe says judges must take home violence extra significantly. “It is a life and dying subject that someone is ready to abuse their accomplice and who presents with important threat components; that accomplice could kill the kids,” Jaffe says.

It might be laborious to imagine, however in Canada, 30-40 youngsters are killed by their dad and mom every year.

In line with Jaffe, the perpetrators of kid homicides by dad and mom in Canada are 60 per cent fathers and 40 per cent moms.

“Girls kill associated to psychological well being issues, postpartum melancholy,” Jaffe mentioned. “Males are likely to kill as an act of revenge for his or her accomplice leaving the connection.”

Jaffe says the issue is commonly that judges need each dad and mom to have entry to their kids, which he admits is a good thought for almost all of separated or divorced couples.

“However sadly, for 10 to twenty per cent of couples who separate the place there's some severe points round baby abuse and home violence or intimate accomplice violence, these points must be thought out fairly otherwise,” Jaffe provides.

After her ordeal, Jennifer is advocating for obligatory home violence coaching for judges. A brand new personal members invoice, dubbed ‘Keira’s legislation,’ which might develop judicial coaching for intimate accomplice violence and coercive management, is ready to have a second studying within the Home of Commons on the finish of April.