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Lawyer opposes 'private' public inquiry in Sinclair case
Phoenix Sinclair (MIKE APORIUS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ) Photo Store
No publication ban should shield professionals like social workers or nurses during the inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair, a hearing was told today.
Lawyer Jonathan Kroft, who is representing media outlets such as the Free Press in the upcoming hearings, said he opposes professional witnesses seeking to have their identities hidden.
An application made by the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union says social workers involved in the inquiry could have safety issues as a result. Kroft said people from other professions such as nurses could also be impacted.
"I'll be arguing... if those applications are successful, (it's) one of the most private public inquiries we've ever seen in Canada," said Kroft.
The next hearing into the union's application is scheduled to take place June 13 and 14, where arguments will continue.
Phoenix was five years old when she was murdered in 2005. But it took more than nine months for officials to realize she was even missing, despite the fact she had been in the care of CFS and had only recently been returned to her birth mother.
Her remains were found in 2006 in the dump at Fisher River First Nation. Phoenix's mother, Samantha Kematch, and stepfather, Karl McKay, were convicted of first-degree murder in 2008 in their daughter's death and given life sentences, with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.
The NDP government called the inquiry to examine the circumstances that led to Phoenix's death following a period of abuse that included prolonged beatings and broken bones from her pelvis to her skull. Why various child-welfare agencies failed Phoenix is the key focus of the inquiry.
Gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 4:29 PM CDT: Adds video player.
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