Coroners inquest set for B.C. woman with Down Syndrome who starved to death

Florence Girard was 54 when she died in the home of caregiver Astrid Dahl. She had been neglected and malnourished, weighing just 55 pounds at the time of her death.

The BC Coroners Service will hold an inquest into the death of Florence Girard, a 54-year-old woman with Down syndrome who died of starvation in 2018.

Girard died at the home of her carer in Port Coquitlam, B.C, as a result of malnutrition or starvation following years of missed medical appointments.

In 2022, Girard’s caregiver, 54-year-old Astrid Dahl, was convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life and sentenced by the B.C. Supreme Court to one year of curfew, a year of probation and 100 hours of community service.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 13, at the Burnaby Coroner's Court, presiding coroner Donita Kuzma and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding Girard’s death.

The jury will be able to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances, but cannot make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.

The inquest was directed under sections of the Coroners Act relating to public interest, and deaths as a result of dangerous practice or circumstance.

Open to the public, the livestream can be viewed online at the Government BC website.

A coroner’s inquest is a public inquiry that serves to determine the facts related to the death - including the person’s identity and the how, when, where and by what means they came to their death - and to make recommendations to prevent deaths in similar circumstances.

Coroner’s inquests are also designed to ensure the public that the circumstances surrounding the death will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored, say the BC Coroners Service.