Man's death ruled suicide

Coroner's jury makes five recommendations following death at halfway

Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 04/01) - A coroner's inquest has determined that a 24-year-old Cape Dorset man's death was a suicide.

Ohituq Petaulassie hanged himself at the Yellowknife Salvation Army residential facility last July.

Recommendations The coroner's inquest into the death of Ohituk Petaulassie made five recommendations. They are: Correctional Service Canada complete a risk assessment on federal offenders on statutory release prior to their release to a halfway house. All Salvation Army community residential facility staff in Yellowknife be required to take suicide intervention training on a regular basis. The Salvation Army should conduct emergency scenario drills with the appropriate staff on a regular basis. The Salvation Army should promptly make regular entries on all offenders' files. That CSC consider establishing a community residential facility in Nunavut.

He had been at the halfway house after being released from a southern jail.

Inmates from Nunavut are generally sent to halfway houses in Yellowknife, or down south, as there are no such facilities in Nunavut.

The inquest heard that Petaulassie had attempted suicide at least three times in the past.

However, a physician and a psychologist testified that it was not possible to tell whether Petaulassie would attempt suicide again.

On July 25, 2000 he was found hanging from the shower rod in the bathroom of his apartment unit by a roommate. Petaulassie had used a bedsheet to kill himself.

The six-person jury, composed of five men and one woman, were unanimous in their finding of suicide. They made five recommendations to prevent future deaths.

Two of the recommendations were directed at Corrections Services Canada.

The first recommendation was for CSC to complete suicide risk assessments on federal offenders on statutory release prior to their being sent to halfway houses.

The second was for CSC to establish a community residential facility in Nunavut.

Three other recommendations involved training of Salvation Army staff working at the community residential facility where Petaulassie committed suicide.

Inquest lawyer Kelly Payne said that while testimony of Dr. Ross Wheeler and Bruce Smith, the psychologist, indicated that, "the red flags weren't there," for Petaulassie, "they might be there for someone else."

Dave Harder, director of Programming for the Salvation Army, praised the jury's recommendations. "I think they're excellent," he said.

Harder added that as of February, all corrections staff employed by the Salvation Army had received training in suicide intervention. He added that the other recommendations "would be put into policy" as soon as possible.