Low turnout disappoints forum organizer THE ORGANIZER of a West Vancouver forum on youth and crime says she’s disappointed with the apparent lack of community interest in the issue. By Karen Mason Contributing Writer “T think it’s quite sad,” said Linda Markovina, of the fact that less than 75 people attended the forum at Sentinel sec- ondary schvol on ‘Tuesday night. The event was designed to give students and parents from Sentinel, West Vancouver secondary and Hillside middle school an opportunity to hear from experts and share their thoughts and concerns on youth and crime. But despite a notice in the North Shore News and flyers that went out to all three high schools, the crowd in the Sentinel gymnasium barely managed to fill a third of the bleachers. Markovina, whose teenaged son was victimized by gangs of youths three times last year, says the complacency of the community troubles her. _.““We don’t want to scare people,” she said, “but | don't think we Can just go day by day and feel that nothing will ever hap- pen to us.” One of the speakers at the forum, West Vancouver Police Const. Harry McNeil said the poor attendance indicated “peo- : ple in West Vancouver feel quite comfortable, We have a very safe community.” . While McNeil admitted that recent events such as the stab- bing death of a Vancouver man by a group of teenagers in Port Coquitlam last weekend have raised the profile of youth vio- “lence, he likened the problem to the flu. _. “Somebody gets the flu and all of a sudden it’s like every- body’s got it,” he said. “When there’s a little bit of violence it Creates an atmosphere and all of a sudden there's lots report- ed? ” ty Still, McNeil, a- West Vancouver school liaison officer. ‘admitted there are reasons to be concerned. ‘Steroid use, other factors implicated in act of violence | A-DEFENCE psychiatrist who examined Dale Paterson 18 months after he killed his former West Vancouver lover admit- ed ‘that feigned amnesia is not uncom- mon for, people charged with serious crimes, ; By Brent Mudry ‘ Contributing Writer: “Certainly ... when they say ‘I don’t remem- ‘ber’, I expect they" te going to remember much ‘more than they tell me.” Dr. Paul Janke told a ~ B.C. Supreme Court jury Thursday. The psychiatrist agreed that feigned amnesia may be the easiest way for an accused to avuid difficult questions. “I expect that he has actual- ly more memory of what happened,” the doctor ‘told Crown prosecutor Joe Bellows. © 2° Paterson, 33, is charged. with first degree murder in the death of Scott Kraft on Aug. 3, ‘1993. In a 9-1-1-call, Paterson confessed to killing Kraft, a 31-year-old bank employee. . . Kraft. was clubbed and strangled on a ‘Tuesday evening. The former lifeguard gave “There are weapons in the schools.” he said. “Knives are the weapons of choice.” He said the police department is focusing much of its work on prevention, Officers are cur- rently receiving training in a new education pro- gram called DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The 17-week program, which teaches children how to say no to drugs and crime by building assertiveness und self-esteem, is due to be in place in Grade 5 classroams in West Vancouver within a year. The police perspective was just one of several presented at the forum. Members of the government-sponsored youth group 841-KOZ, which delivers workshops to elementary and high school students across B.C.. outlined how they teach children to protect them- selves from gang and youth violence. Other speakers included West Vancouver District Coun. Pat Boname, and Michael West. the uncle of Melanie Carpenter, the young Surrey woman who was raped and murdered by a known sex offender earlier this year. Parents, who made up the majority of the audi- ence, also got some tips on how to deal with chil- dren who may be using drugs or alcohol. Counsellor David Huntington, who works iat the Odyssey, a Burnaby centre for youth and fari- ilies dealing with substance abuse related issues told the crowd “Youth ure basically making their own choices in their lives.” and their decisions must be respect- ed. “i's really important that their opinions are cared about,” he added, saying parents should enter into dialogue with their kids in “a curious kind of way,” asking them why they usc drugs or alcohoi and what they get out of the experience. By listening to what their kids have to say, and validating them, instead of telling them they have a problem, Huntington says purents can break down the defence barriers and begin to ' Friday, April 7, 1995 ~ North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Brad Leduidge VANCOUVER SUN columnist Denny Boyd addresses a youth- crime forum held at West Van's Sentinel secondary school. create an almosphere of mutual respect, which may lead their child to decide on his or her own not to use drugs °, alcohol, Huntington's assertions were backed by former Quyssey client 18-year-old Brad, who first went for counselling at age 4, a time when his substance use was causing problems at home. “Whenever it came up, I'd get flak from my parents, and I'd have to put up a shield,” he said.’ Brad offered this advice to parents, “Accept it (drug or alco- hol use) for what it is ... don’t condemn it” estione serious crimes can give self-serving statements to psychiatrists. “Yes .., and they can give such accounts to police, juries and judges,” he told the court. In testimony earlier this week: Paterson claimed he was a walking zombie in the days leading up to his killing of his former lover. The West Vancouver inan drove his car, withdrew money and went shopping, all in a semi-con- scious state, he told the jury. Jn court, he had a rational explanation for his behavior. “I was avery sick man at the time, sir.’ Paterson ‘told Bellows in cross-examina- tion. Paterson repeated the identical phrase four times ina single 45- minute period of question- ing. ~ Bellows reconstructed Paterson's travels. ‘Paterson vaguely remembers visiting a friend at her work in Kitsilano on the Sunday morning prior. He claims he then got in his car snd drove to Whistler for no apparent reason. “I recall ambling around, nothing specific, just rambling,” the former lifeguard testified. Paterson corectly punched in two separate four-digit identity numbers to withdraw $140 from two of his bank accounts in two days. He claims he planned to consult a psychic with part of the money. ; ; ' Bellows reminded Paterson he had approached Kraft and another man at Peppi’s ‘restaurant in Dundarave.on the Monday * evening, the night before he killed Kraft. “I was at the beach,” Paterson explained. different stories to the doctor and the jury. “He told the jury ... he had no idea where the rope came from,’ Bellows noted, “It seems strange to “me,” answered Janke, who heard a different : explanation from his patient. , ‘Paterson testified earlier that he did not . -know what he was doing for days leading up to his clubbing and strangulation of Kraft. ba was a very sick man at the time,” Paterson responded repeatedly in response to Bellow’s earlier questions. Janke, however, had a difficult time explain- ing what mental sickness Paterson actually may have had. Paterson's claims of steroid use, sleep withdrawal and food deprivation, coupled with narcissistic tendencies may have pushed him into a “dissociative state” with partial amnesia, the doctor told Mr. Justice Richard Low and the Bellows suggested the psychiatrist’ 's descrip- tion was a “catch-all diagnosis.” Janke’ replied that Paterson “was jumbled in what he said” when he examined him. The doc-- tor then admitted he gave a catch-all diagnosis because he was tentative about Paterson. even being i in a dissociative state. The doctor agreed that people accused of He denied he was spying on the pair all weekend, The accused. killer denies he actually planned to buy a baseball bat at Eaton's Park Royal on Tuesday, the fatal day. “L was standing in front of the line. of bats,” he told the jury. “I recall reaching out for a bat with my left hand, if it were my” right hand, I would have reached for another object.” he testified.