Pomares case | A “horrible drama” which “probably” could have been avoided, concludes the coroner

The double murder committed by Jonathan Pomares on his children before taking his own life, in Montreal in October 2019, could “without doubt” have been avoided by means of “concrete actions”, concluded the coroner, Ms.^and Stéphanie Gamache, in her report released on Tuesday.

Ariane Kroll
The Press

If “a crisis unit had been able to be mobilized” during Mr. Pomares’ preventive custody at the hospital and at the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, “concrete actions” for the protection of him as well as that of his family “would undoubtedly have made it possible to avoid this horrible tragedy”, writes M^and Gamache in his 14-page report on the father.

The tragedy that occurred on October 22, 2019, when Mr. Pomares killed his children, Élise, 5, and Hugo, 7, before taking their own lives by hanging, shook the Tétreaultville district where he lived with his ex- spouse.

The one who had discovered the bodies on her return home.

The police had intervened with Mr. Pomares ten days before the tragedy, who was then impaired and was aggressive. The man, who admitted to having difficulty with the separation, had made suicidal remarks. He had been rushed to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

In addition to a suicide attempt in the context of separation, “at least ten other risk factors were present here”, mentioned the coroner in a press briefing on Tuesday.