WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
On the opening day of the coroner’s┬аinquest into the death of Cree teen┬аTraevon Chalifoux-Desjarlais, his mother recounted her devastation and disbelief in learning his body had been found in his Abbotsford group home bedroom closet four days after an employee at the home had filed a missing person┬аreport with Abbotsford police.
“How is it they made the missing file report without knowing he was there, hanging in his group home,” sobbed Samantha┬аChalifoux.┬а
“They’re supposed to be there to care and support children,┬аto be there for them. So how is it that my son was hanging there for four┬аdays? Can you please answer me that?”┬а
Chalifoux-Desjarlais, 17, was found dead in an Abbotsford group home called Ware Resource on Sept. 18, 2020. The Cree boy was living in the group home after being put into a voluntary custody arrangement by his mother.┬а
The home was operated by┬аRees Family Services, a company contracted by Xyolhemeylh, also known as the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (FVACFSS). FVACFSS is an agency funded to deliver services under the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD.)
Abbotsford police and the coroner originally described the teen’s death as a suicide┬аthat did not require further investigation or an autopsy. After an outcry from First Nations leaders, the coroner announced it would go ahead with an autopsy.┬а
The nine-day inquest is scheduled to hear from close to 30 witnesses, including Ware Resource group home workers, officials from Rees Family Services, FVACFSS and the MCFD,┬аthe deputy chief of the Abbotsford Police Department and officers involved in missing persons cases.
Chalifoux was the first witness called and was supported by her mother (Traevon’s grandmother), who sat behind her in the witness box wearing an orange “every child matters” T-shirt.
Under questioning from inquest counsel Steven Liu, Chalifoux recounted how Traevon was apprehended from her at birth, how he grew up in difficult circumstances moving between the homes of┬аaunts and an uncle, and how he eventually came to live with her sometime in 2019.┬а
Chalifoux said she put Traevon into voluntary care because his weed smoking was setting a bad example for her younger son and could lead to them getting thrown out of their housing.┬а
She said, at first,┬аTraevon seemed OK at the group home, but as weeks passed, she started getting more frequent calls from him expressing frustration in not being able to access clean bedding, clean clothes or enough food.
She testified on one occasion, he called her at nine┬аor 10┬аat night from outside the home, claiming staff had kicked him out of the house and told him to wait outside while they went to get coffee.
Chalifoux testified that after learning her son was the subject of a missing person┬аreport, she went to the group home for four straight days and banged on the doors and windows each time, hoping Traevon had returned.┬а
“No one answered, and yet my son was in there hanging,” she said.
A coroner’s┬аinquest does┬аnot find blame or criminality but is meant to serve the public interest in revealing the┬аfacts and┬аcircumstances of a┬аdeath. At its conclusion, the jury can make recommendations aimed at improving policy and procedures.
If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:
If you’re worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs:┬а
- Suicidal thoughts.
- Substance abuse.
- Purposelessness.
- Anxiety.
- Feeling trapped.
- Hopelessness and helplessness.
- Withdrawal.
- Anger.
- Recklessness.
