Achieving a score of “Target met: 95% – 100%,” a manager evaluated Basil Borutski’s probation officer two days after Borutski committed the murders of two ex-partners, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam, whom he was on probation for abusing, along with Carol Culleton on Sept. 22, 2015.
During the three years leading up to the tragic events in the Ottawa Valley, Borutski’s probation officers in Renfrew and Pembroke, Ont., were responsible for ensuring the repeat domestic violence offender complied with court orders following his jail term for threatening Warmerdam’s family and assaulting Kuzyk.
Additionally, they were tasked with collaborating with partner agencies such as victim advocate organizations, police, and the Crown to safeguard Kuzyk, Warmerdam, and Borutski’s ex-wife (whose identity is withheld due to being a victim of intimate partner violence).
Soon after the local manager’s assessment of meeting the target, a death review conducted by probation and parole managers from other regions in Ontario revealed multiple missed opportunities for intervention by probation officers.
Following the murders, amidst widespread media coverage of the devastating intimate partner violence incident, the local manager’s sole concern was the lack of monthly contact with Kuzyk.
The “Target met” rating represents the highest achievable score.
Expressing his dismay, Malcolm, one of Warmerdam’s sons, described the situation as “baffling.” Similarly, Kirsten Mercer, a lawyer representing victim advocacy groups during a 2022 inquest into the murders, criticized the evaluation.
The disclosures reveal that two management reviews were conducted before the tragic killings in November 2013 and January 2014. Both reviews highlighted missed opportunities to charge Borutski for probation breaches related to his non-attendance at a domestic violence offenders’ program.
Despite these reviews, there was no apparent change in the probation officers’ approach, according to observations by Warmerdam and Mercer.
- If you are a probation officer with insights to share, you can email confidentially to kristy.nease@cbc.ca, or through her encrypted Proton email.
The detailed death review indicated that Borutski was never held accountable for violating probation conditions, with critical issues such as alcohol as a trigger for violence and his offense cycle left unaddressed.
The disclosure of over 400 pages from Borutski’s probation and parole record sheds light on the supervision provided. The Ministry of the Solicitor General released the documents to CBC in September after an appeal process.
While redactions were made to protect privacy, the disclosures aimed to provide insights into how the probation system operated and identify areas for improvement post the tragic events.
Probation officers, under scrutiny for missed interventions, did not document enforcement decisions for non-compliance, leaving Borutski unaccountable for his actions.
