Report into death calls for better programs for people with disabilities

EDMONTON A report into the 2009 death of a mentally handicapped woman who was locked in a cage by her family says there were many missed opportunities to prevent her “tragic and unnecessary death.”

Betty Anne Gagnon, 48, had also been confined in a basement, a dog run and a converted school bus with no heat or running water at a rural home east of Edmonton.

A medical examiner determined she died on Nov. 20, 2009, from a head injury that was caused by either a blow to the face or an accidental fall.

Gagnon’s younger sister, Denise Scriven, and brother-in-law, Michael Scriven, were sentenced to 20 months each in jail after pleading guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The fatality inquiry report from provincial court Judge Michele Collinson said Gagnon had developed behavioural issues that included plugging the toilet, wandering off and smearing feces.

“The feces smearing became extreme,” she wrote. “For example, she would mix her feces with water, pour it on herself, pour it on her bed, make holes in the drywall and pour the mixture into the walls through the holes.”

It noted that the Scrivens had trouble caring for Gagnon and struggled with drug abuse, paranoia and depression.

“The last few months of Betty Anne’s life were tragic,” the report said. “The couple employed abusive, even torturous methods to deal with the behavioural issues.”

Collinson said in her report that the Scrivens asked for help, but they either didn’t follow up or weren’t persistent in their requests. It also suggested there were many chances for authorities to intervene that might have prevented her death.