BC United seeks to prevent dangerous offenders from name changes [Video]

British Columbia’s Opposition leader says community safety should come before protection of privacy rights for dangerous people.

The public should know who is living in their community, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said on Thursday after introducing proposed private-member’s legislation to automatically stop people convicted of dangerous offences from legally changing their names.

He said he introduced the proposed bill to amend the Name Act after learning child-killer Allan Schoenborn was recently permitted to legally change his name.

Schoenborn was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his children, aged five, eight and 10, whose bodies were found in the family’s Merritt, B.C., home in 2008.

A judge ruled he was not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder after the verdict.

His new identity has not been made public.

His name change came to light when he asked the BC Review Board — the body that determines his custody status every year …