3 years in prison for Canadian man who left daughters in field to die during blizzard

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.whotv.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-canada-fre...

3 years in prison for Canadian man who left daughters in field to die during blizzard
By Associated Press
3:49 PM CST, March 6, 2009

ROSE VALLEY, Saskatchewan (AP) — A Canadian father who left his two toddler daughters to die in a blizzard wearing only diapers and T-shirts was sentenced to three years in prison Friday.

The sentencing came four months after Christopher Pauchay pleaded guilty to a single count of criminal negligence for causing the girls' deaths.

He lost the 1- and 3-year-olds while walking to a neighbor's house during a storm Jan. 29, 2008, with the wind chill hovering at 58 degrees below zero. Pauchay's family said he was drunk at the time.

Pauchay was suffering severe frostbite when he eventually made it to the neighbor's home and was taken to a hospital. Eight hours later, when he was able to speak, he asked about his children — setting off a frantic search that ended hours later when the girls were found dead in a field.


Pauchay's common-law wife, who publicly said she would stand by him after he pleaded guilty, was not at home when the girls died. The couple had another baby girl earlier this year.

----------------------------

Pauchay, a member of the Yellow Quill First Nation, told a sentencing circle last month that he should never have been charged with a crime and described the deaths as an accident.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/200... /

Police found the body of three-year old Kaydance Pauchay on Wednesday on the reserve, one day after finding her one-year-old sister Santana. The girls were wearing just diapers and T-shirts on a night when the mercury hit -50 C with wind chill -- a temperature that can cause frostbite in less than two minutes.

There have been reports that the girls' father Christopher Pauchay was attempting to get help for the youngest girl when he set out from the home sometime during the night, and was on his way to another home about 400 metres away.

Both girls were eventually found in a snowy field between the two houses.

The chronology of the event is still in question. Police picked up Pauchay early Tuesday, but it wasn't until eight hours later when he was recovering in hospital that he asked about his daughters and told police they may need help.

[Hannah Bell]

1. 400 meters? sounds like he stupidly set off & got disoriented from the cold.

negligent in taking the kids undressed, but "left daughters to die" implies deliberate action. doesn't sound like it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. Not deliberate but he was drunk and had 52 arrests (by age 23!)

[eridani]

5. Maybe the loss of the kids will scare him sober?

For the sake of the other kid, I sure hope so.

[exboyfil]

4. A father's job is to protect his children

I really would have to try hard to show any sympathy for this man. Just because he was tanked should not mitigate what he did. It does not appear that he intended to harm his girls, but he did decide to get drunk, let his judgement get impaired, and, through his actions, caused his girls to die. This story is like a drunk driving story without the car.


Three years seems about right. Not sure about the wife having another child when him (unless she was already pregnant). I am not sure I would ever talk again to my spouse (soon to be ex-spouse) if she acted in such an irresponsible way that would lead to the deaths of our children.

When it comes to my kids, I do not compromise.

[bluedawg12]

3. I feel awfully sad for the two little girls, frightened, alone, trusting in daddy

to return, maybe with a warm blanket, surely he would save them.

Death and crushed hope.

Tragic.

[varkam]

6. Naw - I think criminal charges here are pretty appropriate.

If you're blitzed and take your kids out for a walk in a blizzard with -50C windchills, seems to me that you're either intentionally disregarding a major risk (or not aware of it in the first place, depending on how drunk). Negligent homicide at the least.