Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Coroners Inquest Called for May 4 - 15: Had to find out from the media

Acting Chief Coroner, Greg Forestel lallellI received a phone call this morning from a journalist with the Telegraph Journal telling me that the Coroners Office has announced the Inquest into our sons' deaths will be held on May 4 - 15.

While we are glad that a date has finally been announced, we wonder why the Coroner couldn't call the parents first before making the date public to the media. We had to find out this information from the media. Why?

I spoke with Greg Forestell last week, asking him exactly that question: "When will the Coroners Inquest take place?" and all he could say to me was that it would be in May. He seems like a nice man, why wouldn't he phone us? Was he told not to? Is this the way things are done over at the Department of Public Safety?

It wouldn't have taken too much effort for someone in the Department of Public Safety to pick up the phone and call all the parents to tell us the date had finally been decided upon. It would be better to hear that information from him than from the media.

I hope this isn't the way they intend to conduct themselves during the Inquest. They should be revealing important information about the Inquest into our sons' death to the interested parties - like the parents - first before telling the media.