(Kinew James. File/Photo)
APTN National News
A public inquest into the in-custody death of an Indigenous woman at a psychiatric centre in Saskatoon will begin on April 25, the Saskatchewan government said Monday.
Kinew James, 35, was found unresponsive in her cell on Jan. 19, 2013.
The inquest will run from April 25 to 29 and will be held at the Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon.
Saskatoon Coroner Tim Hawryluk will preside at the inquest.
James, originally from Winnipeg, died in Saskatoon’s Regional Psychiatric Centre from a heart attack. She was also diabetic and on the tail-end of a 15 year-sentence.
James was found unresponsive in her cell and declared dead-on-arrival at the hospital. It has since emerged that other inmates held at the psychiatric centre repeatedly pressed emergency call buttons to alert staff James needed immediate medical assistance, according to a document on the case posted on Elizabeth Fry’s website.
The Elizabeth Fry Society provided support for James throughout her time within the prison system and its officials met with her two weeks before her death.
