SASKATOON – An inquest will be held into the death of 33-year-old Benjamin Toutsaint of Blake Lake First Nation who was found deceased in his cell at the Regional Psychiatric Centre (RPC) in Saskatoon in May 2019.
The inquest will run from March 21 to 25 and Coroner Brent Gough, Q.C. will preside.
If a coroner isn’t satisfied that an inmate's death was due to natural causes and preventable then, according to The Coroners Act, the chief coroner is required to hold an inquest into the death.
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner's jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
According to the Government of Canada website, RPC is a multi-level psychiatric hospital, which is operated by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) through an affiliation agreement between Canada and the University of Saskatchewan. RPC provides assessment, intensive programming, treatment for mental disorders, and a 24-hour medical care to individuals from the federal and provincial justice systems.
