Robert Pickton listens to his verdict in a artist's drawing in New Westminster, Sunday, December 9, 2007. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Felicity Don
May 09, 2013 - 11:34 AM
VANCOUVER - The children of four missing women whose remains were found on serial killer Robert Pickton's farm have launched legal action looking for compensation.
The daughters and sons of Dianne Rock, Sarah de Vries, Cynthia Feliks and Yvonne Boen have filed separate lawsuits in B.C. Supreme Court, targeting the provincial government, the City of Vancouver, Robert Pickton and his brother Dave and their sister Linda.
The statements of claim alleges numerous failures on the part of Vancouver police, RCMP and Crown prosecutors, including that police didn't warn women in the Downtown Eastside that a serial killer may have been targeting women in the area.
The lawsuits, which contain unproven allegations, also complain about the way the Vancouver police and RCMP informed the women's families about the Pickton connection, including Boen's children, who found out through news reports.
A public inquiry into the Pickton case found numerous failures by the police, and commissioner Wally Oppal recommended compensation for the women's children and a "healing fund" for their families.
Jason Gratl, the lawyer representing the family members, says the province and the city have allowed Oppal's recommendation for compensation to languish, and he hopes the lawsuits will prompt the two levels of government to take the issue of compensation seriously.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013