The Sinclair family is looking for answers that will keep other Native people from receiving the same lack of treatment that Brian received that led to his death.
Brian Sinclair's death was a tragedy that could have been prevented," stated Andrew Swan, Manitoba's Minister of Justice.
WINNIPEG, MB-After several weeks of hearings into the death of Brian Sinclair, his family is putting pressure on the government to hold an inquiry. In order to make their point even stronger, they withdrew from the inquest hearings into his death.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Robert Sinclair, Brian's cousin, said "his family no longer has confidence the inquest will get all the answers they were hoping to get, so they will boycott the rest until it gets to final submissions."
"We hoped to make systemic changes," Sinclair said after he and other family members abruptly left the courtroom. "Mr. Preston has made a decision not to hear evidence on race, poverty and stigmatism of an individual. We came here for the truth. It is obvious we are not going to get the whole truth.
Brian Sinclair went to the Health Sciences Centre in downtown Winnipeg on September 19, 2008.
A medical clinic sent him there by taxi. Sinclair was ignored for 36 hours before he died in the waiting room. Medical personnel later determined that he died from a bladder infection caused by a blocked urinary catheter and this is something that was treatable.
"We believed this was a court of justice for Brian Sinclair," said Leslie Spillett of Ka Ni Kanichihk. "I still pray there will be justice here, but I fear with the limited number of witnesses being called here I am concerned it will not."
"The fight continues." Sinclair told the newspaper. "We'll now take different means to get to the truth."
Andrew Swan, Manitoba's Justice Minister, wouldn't say whether an inquiry would be called. "I think it's really important that the inquest process finish," the minister told the Free Press.
"There's already been the first phase, which has heard a lot of evidence. The expectation is that the second phase will expand the scope of the inquest and provide more information," Swan stated. "And I believe everybody is hopeful that this independent provincial court judge will come up with recommendations that will improve the system."
"Brian Sinclair's death was a tragedy that could have been prevented," stated Swan. "Although I know our government already has, I want to offer my sincere apologies once again to Brian Sinclair's family."
The inquest will continue.
