Mother launches lawsuit against province over daughter's in-custody death

The mother of a woman who died while in custody at a Saskatchewan remand facility is suing the Saskatchewan government.

Breanna Kannick died on Aug. 20, 2015 while in custody at the White Birch Remand Centre. The 21-year-old had been arrested for failing to appear in court on drug possession charges.

Kannick's mother, Sherri Chartrand, is suing the province and 11 individuals working at the White Birch facility at the time.

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The statement of claim which includes allegations not yet proven in court says that the defendants failed to take reasonable steps to ensure Kannick was safe on the premises and failed to provide the necessities of life.

According to the statement of claim, Kannick did not receive medical assessment at the time of her intake, and she had "extreme nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, sickness, and malnutrition."

Kannick'did not receive proper' treatment, suit alleges

"Breanna repeatedly asked for medical assistance," reads the statement, but "she did not receive proper medical treatment."

It alleges that her requests for medical treatment were "repeatedly denied, mocked, ignored nor were they otherwise acted upon in a timely fashion."

Breannahit her head on a metal table minutes before she passed away, and the statement alleges that guards did nothing to check on her after she fell and hit her head.

AfterKannickhit her head, she began vomiting. That's when staff attempted to place an oxygen mask over her, and the statement reads "such steps were improper given her extreme vomiting at the time."

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Seeking $30K

The statement also alleges that resuscitation attempts by workers were not handled properly, and one worker's first aid and CPR certification had expired.

"By the time an ambulance was summoned, Breanna had already sustained catastrophic injuries by way of respiratory and cardiac arrest," reads the statement.

Chartrand is seeking special damages in an amount to be proven at trial.

Damages include loss for wages,income, and legal costs. The plaintiff is also seeking damages for loss of guidance, care, and companionship in the amount of $30,000.

The defendants have not yet filed a statement of defence.