QUEBEC CITY
— The small community of Piedmont and the staff at Hôtel-Dieu hospital in
Saint-Jérôme are in shock after learning Sunday that one of their
cardiologists is suspected of killing his two children while his wife, an
emergency ward doctor at the same hospital, was away skiing.
The Sûreté du
Québec identified the children's bodies as that of Olivier Turcotte, 5, and
Anne-Sophie Turcotte, 3. The bodies were found Saturday at a home in
Piedmont in the Laurentians, located near Saint-Jérôme, just north of
Montreal. The CBC reported last night the father was estranged from his wife
and rented the Piedmont house, where he lived with the two children, two
months ago.
The SQ refused to confirm on Sunday reports that marital problems may
have been the reason behind the killings.
The father, whose name has not been released, was admitted to a Montreal
hospital on Saturday night where he was reported to be in stable condition
after taking drugs in what police said appeared to be a suicide attempt. As
of Sunday afternoon, police had not had the opportunity to question him
about the slayings.
Saint-Jérôme hospital director François Therrien confirmed that doctors were
so grieved and shaken by the events that when their fellow physician arrived at
the Saint-Jérôme hospital for treatment, they recommended he be transferred
instead to a hospital in Montreal.
“I respected the doctors' decision. ... The decision was taken in concert
with the medical team [on duty]. I don't want to go any further on this,” Mr.
Therrien said during a news conference in Saint-Jérôme on Sunday.
He repeated that at no time did anyone on the hospital staff know of anything
that could have prevented the tragedy. Mr. Therrien explained that the
36-year-old cardiologist was on duty on Friday and that there was nothing
unusual in his behaviour.
“There was no – and I insist on repeating – there was no precursory sign
shown the last few days. He showed a great deal of professionalism, which was
his trademark, in his dealings with his patients,” Mr. Therrien said.
Police said the children's mother, who was skiing in Charlevoix, near Quebec
City, was notified Saturday. They are not releasing her name, nor is the
hospital.
Mr. Therrien said she was well respected by her colleagues and they were
offering her their full support to get through this ordeal. With files from
The Canadian Press