ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

W5
W5

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

    Share

    In exclusive audio obtained by W5, a caseworker from Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto, admits to warning her bosses about the escalating behaviour of Robin Brown, just days before he and his daughter, Keira, were found dead at the bottom of a cliff at Ontario’s Rattlesnake Point, a conservation area west of Toronto. Brown had parenting time with Keira that weekend.

    Keira’s mother, Jennifer Kagan-Viater, and current husband, Philip Viater, say the caseworker, only referred to as Amanda in the tape, came to visit them 10 days after the four-year-old’s death. Philip, a family lawyer, recorded that conversation.

    “The behaviours (Robin Brown) was exhibiting were the same behaviours in people that go out and kill their kids,†Amanda said. “I don’t deny that, I’m getting chills. I don’t deny saying that and I’ve been very clear with my manager and my above manager.â€

    In a Statement of Claim filed by the Viaters in Ontario Superior Court on June 22, 2021, the couple names Jewish Family and Child Service, the caseworker and several other defendants.

    They allege that in the months leading up to Keira’s death, Brown was exhibiting “escalating behaviour†like failing to return Keira back to Jennifer and Philip on three occasions.

    “She's supposed to come home at a certain time and we're waiting. We're waiting and Keira is not there. It’s terrifying,†Jennifer said.

    For Keira’s safety, Jennifer filed an emergency motion on Jan. 28, 2020 to supervise or suspend Brown’s access to Keira.

    “This was an extremely dangerous predator who never should have had one iota of unsupervised time with this little girl,†Jennifer says.

    Keira Kagan with mother Jennifer (Supplied photo)The judge who presided over that emergency motion, Justice George MacPherson, found the evidence “persuasive and compelling†but adjourned the matter so that Jewish Family and Child Service could complete an investigation.

    The judge said the organization had “eyes and ears on the ground†and could “request urgent relief at any time during the investigation.â€

    In the audio recording, the caseworker involved with that investigation, and who had interviewed Brown, tells Jennifer and Philip that she had “zero evidence that he would do something like this.†But she admits she had a bad feeling.

    “Did I have a gut feeling? Not that he would kill her,†she explains. “But I had a gut feeling that he would escalateâ€.

    Shockingly, Jennifer says this was not the first time the caseworker had told the family about these concerns. Jennifer says she got a call from the caseworker on Friday, Feb. 7, just days before Keira’s death.

    “(She) admitted that Mr. Brown was the type of person to kill or harm his own child to get back at me,†Jennifer told W5.

    “And she said that she had contacted her supervisor and she wanted a protection application. And the supervisor had said it could wait until Monday.â€

    Keira was found dead a day before that, on Sunday Feb. 9, 2020.

    In the Statement of Claim, Jennifer and Philip allege that Jewish Family and Child Service and its employees “failed to protect†Keira, and “knew or ought to have known that Keira was in an imminent risk of danger and failed to intervene.â€

    W5 asked Jewish Family and Child Service for an on-camera interview, but they declined to comment on any “contact the organization may or may not have had with a family,†citing confidentiality.

    Jennifer and Philip say that Jewish Family and Child Service’s failure was the last in a long line of systemic failures that preceded Keira’s death.

    And they are convinced that Keira’s death was not accidental, but rather a revenge killing perpetrated by Robin Brown.

    File photo of Robin Brown (Supplied)A coroner’s report did not determine a cause of death, but noted that Halton Regional Police had identified multiple risk factors for domestic violence in Keira’s father. The case was referred to Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee.

    Jennifer says there were signs her ex-husband could be dangerous, explaining how he emotionally and physically abused her. But she says the worst of it involved his controlling behaviour, which started soon after they were married in 2013.

    “He behaved increasingly more and more controlling with me,†she explains. “I insist to have the passwords to all of your devices. I insist to know your whereabouts at all times, you know, becoming highly jealous,†she said.

    In 2017, when she tried to raise concerns about Robin Brown’s abusive behaviour in a trial regarding Keira’s custody, Justice Douglas Gray said, “I am going to ignore it, it is not relevant.â€

    Professor Peter Jaffe, an expert in violence against women and children at Western University in London, Ont., says that was a grave mistake. Because if a mother is at risk, he says children are at risk too.

    Professor Peter Jaffe, an expert in violence against women and children at Western University in London, Ont., speaks with CTV W5.“They're at risk in terms of emotional and psychological well-being by being in that environment, and they may be at risk for being hurt in the crossfire or being killed in extreme cases,†he says.

    Jaffe says judges have to take domestic violence more seriously. “It's a life and death issue that somebody is prepared to abuse their partner and who presents with significant risk factors; that partner may kill the children,†Jaffe says.

    It may be hard to believe, but in Canada, 30-40 kids are killed by their parents each year.

    According to Jaffe, the perpetrators of child homicides by parents in Canada are 60 per cent fathers and 40 per cent mothers.

    “Women kill related to mental health disorders, postpartum depression,†Jaffe said. “Men tend to kill as an act of revenge for their partner leaving the relationship.â€

    Jaffe says the problem is often that judges want both parents to have access to their children, which he admits is a great idea for the majority of separated or divorced couples.

    “But unfortunately, for 10 to 20 per cent of couples who separate where there's some serious issues around child abuse and domestic violence or intimate partner violence, those issues need to be thought out quite differently,†Jaffe adds.

    After her ordeal, Jennifer is advocating for mandatory domestic violence training for judges. A new private members bill, dubbed ‘,’ which would expand judicial training for intimate partner violence and coercive control, is set to have a second reading in the House of Commons at the end of April.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    Canada

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has pulled out of a national body representing Métis, citing problems with an Ontario group and throwing the future of the Métis National Council into question.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It was the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge Friday as hundreds of family, friends and fans attended a public memorial in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    Sports

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won five in a row. The Edmonton Elks have won five of their last six games. They are the two hottest teams in the West. When they meet Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, something has to give.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A fire that destroyed a historic bridge in Kamloops, B.C., is now being investigated as arson, local Mounties say.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • One person was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle collision in Milton, Ont. on Friday night.

    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • Environment Canada issued a frost advisory for Calgary late Friday afternoon.

    • Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is urging the Alberta government to preserve pieces of the massive Green Line transit project now being dissolved.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • For years, the commute to Ottawa's west end was one of the biggest complaints for attending fans. But those who live in Kanata and in the immediate LeBreton area say the move would be a big change their respective neighbourhoods.

    • Ottawa police are investigating a shooting downtown Friday afternoon.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • A man who asserted his right to work in French has won his case before the Tribunal, invoking the new provisions of the province's French-language law (Bill 96) to that effect.

    • Two Edmonton Police Service officers have been criminally charged in connection with an assault.

    • There's a friendship in the Edmonton Oilers crease between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

    • A woman is dead after a highway collision on Saddle Lake Cree Nation.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Mattea Roach among the Maritimers honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal Friday.

    • The Halifax Regional Detachment of the RCMP is asking the public for assistance locating a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant in relation to an assault in Lower Sackville.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A plane approaches the grass runway at Harv’s Air School south of Steinbach. Nothing is getting in the way of a clear, smooth landing, but owner Harv Penner worries, that could soon change.

    • The University of Manitoba's College of Dentistry is dealing with some unexpected consequences from the federal government's new Canadian Dental Care Plan

    • Five Regina schools were placed into lockdown or secure the building mode following a report of a weapons investigation at Miller High School on Friday.

    • A 21-year-old man from Codette, Sask. is facing numerous charges in connection to a fatal crash near Wapella, Sask. Wednesday night that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alberta woman.

    • The City of Regina and provincial government have committed a combined $400,000 to Carmichael Outreach for an 80-person warming space set to open no later than Nov. 1.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has pulled out of a national body representing Métis, citing problems with an Ontario group and throwing the future of the Métis National Council into question.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • NEW

      NEW

      Under intense cross-examination from Crown Attorney Jennifer Moser, the embattled former Mayor of Woodstock stuck to his story denying that he ever did anything inappropriate to his female accuser.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • A jury has found a Barrie man guilty of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of a man at a Banff bar two years ago.

    • The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is searching for the occupants of a vehicle caught on security cameras during a fatal police-involved shooting on Goyeau Street.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • The federal government is investing $18.4 million dollars into the region.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It’s a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • Police in Victoria, B.C. issued a warning this week about lighters that look like pistols, saying they have received 20 reports of firearms in public spaces since July 1 that turned out to be gun-shaped torches.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • After a summer of preparation, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are ready to open the 2024-25 season.

    • As a new semester is underway, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge say the number of students on campus is on the rise.

    • A Lethbridge resident is facing charges after police seized drugs and weapons at a traffic stop for bicycle equipment violations.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News