Veterans Affairs standing by level of support it provides former soldiers
OTTAWA — Canada’s Veterans Affairs Department is standing by the support and assistance it provides to former soldiers in distress — a subject of controversy in the wake of a murder-suicide involving a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
RCMP confirmed Friday that Lionel Desmond shot his wife, their 10-year-old daughter and his mother before turning the gun on himself in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S. The four bodies were discovered Tuesday.
Family members say Desmond, who was released from the military in July 2015, was diagnosed with PTSD after a tour in Afghanistan in 2007. Veterans Affairs has said it cannot comment on the case, citing privacy laws.
But officials say veterans who need immediate help can use a toll-free number to speak to a clinician about their troubles and determine what assistance is needed. The line, staffed around the clock, received more than 1,100 calls in 2015-16.