B.C. caregiver found guilty in death of woman with Down syndrome
CTV
A caregiver from Port Coquitlam, B.C., who was charged in connection with the 2018 death of a B.C. woman with Down syndrome has been found guilty of one of the two charges against her.
A caregiver from Port Coquitlam, B.C., who was charged in connection with the 2018 death of a B.C. woman with Down syndrome has been found guilty of one of the two charges against her.
Astrid Dahl's verdict was read Friday at B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, where she was convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life.
Dahl was found not guilty of criminal negligence causing death.
The court heard the victim, 54-year-old Florence Girard, died of starvation and malnutrition – weighing approximately 50 lbs. when she died. Her body was found in Dahl's home, where Girard spent years living in her care.
Sharon Bursey, Girard’s sister, expressed disappointment in the not guilty verdict for the more severe charge of criminal negligence.
“I’m shocked. This isn’t right,” said Bursey, fighting back tears outside court. “She kept my sister from me. She wouldn’t answer any of my phone calls. She would never return a call. It’s disgusting.”
The Crown alleged that over time, Dahl had stopped taking Girard to the doctor or dentist, or renewing her prescriptions, leading her health to decline to the point that she could no longer eat properly.
