September 6, 2012

Phoenix Sinclair - Manitoba - age 5 - murdered

Phoenix Sinclair, age 5, died sometime in 2005 on the Fisher River First Nation Reserve in Manitoba. 
Phoenix Sinclair

She was killed by her mother, Samantha Keematch, who was a teenager at the time, and her mother's boyfriend, Karl McKay.  Phoenix was then buried in a shallow grave at the garbage dump. 

Both were convicted in 2008 of first-degree murder in connection with Phoenix's death. They received life sentences.  In Canada, life sentences mean 25 years or half that if parole is allowed under the sentencing.  If Manitoba was Alabama, these people would have received sentences such as 120 years plus 60 years plus 30 years, to run consecutively. As it is, Keematch and Mckay could be out of prison in their 40's and could have yet more children in the future. And no doubt they will.  

Saint Christopher, pray for
Phoenix.  Pray that she is with God
A commission appointed by the Manitoba Government is underway and will drag on for over six months apparently trying to determine why the murder of this little girl happened, when the girl was often under the care of the Provincial child welfare system.  If you are under government supervision, how does it come about that your mother can abuse and murder you? 

Phoenix was repeatedly beaten, sometimes with a metal rod. She was at times forced to eat her own vomit and left in the unheated basement of the home.  She died after a particularly brutal attack and was buried in a shallow grave near a garbage dump. Her body wasn't discovered until nine months after her death.

When Phoenix died she was under the supervision of Manitoba Child and Family Services. She had been returned to her mother’s care in 2004 and was to be visited by social workers.

But they never showed up and her death went undiscovered for over nine months. 

There are more than 9,000 children in the care of Child and Family Services in Manitoba.

This Inquiry is just a bullshit deal and a waste of time. After 6 months of a quasi-Inquisition, the Commission will come up with this - 

This particular case, the case of Phoenix Sinclair, was an unfortunate instance of mis-communication; and an untimely slip through the cracks of the social welfare system;

The Government does not have the resources (neither the staff nor the money) to supervise 9,000 children in care.  (and that is true).

So what is the point of this Inquiry - to undergo 6 months of drudgery to reiterate what we already knew 30 years ago? 

God save the children from the parents who abuse them and kill them.  Amen. 

Let us pray that Phoenix Sinclair is in heaven and that she is with God.  Amen. 

1 comment:

June said...

This little babe is in Heaven with our Load-make no mistake about it. The old saying-"it takes a village to raise a child"
applies here. The government can't be expected to watch over these precious babes and community should be stepping in to watch over them. Finger pointing is a useless gesture. Compassion, care and concern should be on all peoples agendas. Rest in Peace little one-God loves you.