‘A beacon of protection’: Girl’s death sparks training for judges in Ontario

Ontario introduced legislation that will see provincially appointed judges and justices receive education and training on intimate partner violence and coercive control.

TORONTO — Jennifer Kagan wipes away a single tear as she composes herself once again to discuss her daughter’s legacy.

Her four-year-old, Keira Kagan, was found dead next to her father’s body at the base of a cliff in a Milton, Ont., conservation area in February 2020. A provincial committee found it was “extremely consistent” with past cases of murder-suicide involving a father and a child.

Kagan, who had been in a bitter custody battle with Keira’s violent father for years, was determined to have the tragedy result in changes to the way the judicial system deals with cases of intimate partner violence. She and Keira’s stepfather, Philip Viater, spent years pushing lawmakers to drive change.

Those efforts have now resulted in Keira’s name being enshrined in new federal and provincial legislation designed to help other children avoid her fate.

“We’re remembering Keira in this positive way because she really didn’t deserve this,” Kagan says in an interview at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

“We hope people remember her as a beacon of protection for other children.”

The Office of the Chief Coroner will hold an inquest into the circumstances surrounding Keira’s death.

Kagan and her ex, Robin Brown, had been in and out of the courts over Keira’s custody.