A Coquitlam non-profit and one of its caregivers have been charged following a 15-month investigation into the death of a 54-year-old woman.
The BC Prosecution Service has approved charges against Astrid Charlotte Dahl, 51, and Kinsight Community Society, a charitable organization that provides support for families of people with developmental delays and disabilities.
Coquitlam RCMP launched an investigation after a developmentally disabled woman was found dead in a home on Oct. 13, 2018.
Both Dahl and Kinsight have been charged with the failure to perform legal duty to provide the "necessaries of life," which includes such things as food, shelter, medical attention and protection from harm. Dahl has also been charged with criminal negligence causing death.
"This has been an exhaustive investigation into the care of the victim in the years and months leading up to her death," said Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin in a press release. "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."
Coquitlam RCMP said Dahl and the director of Kinsight have been summoned to appear in court March 9, 2020.
Kinsight, formerly the Simon Fraser Society for Community Living, is a long-running organization in the Tri-Cities that also serves New Westminster, Anmore and Belcarra.
Among the programs the organization provides are housing, employment, skill development and support for children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities.
It provides housing for adults, include shared living, semi-independent living and staffed homes with ongoing support, according to the organization's website.
Kinsight recently received kudos for its plans to work with Share Family and Community Services, BC Housing, Inlet United Church and Catalyst Community Development Society to build a mixed-use project in Port Moody with affordable rental units, homes for people with developmental disabilities and a children's centre as well as space for the church. The Centre at The Springs, at the site of the former St. Andrews United Church on St. Johns Street, is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2021.
Recently, the city of Port Moody awarded Kinsight CEO Christine Scott the Peter Hulbert accessibility award for her efforts to forge unique partnerships to create shared, welcoming spaces.
