Student got stabbed 17 times while at work
The family of an international student in Saskatchewan who was killed on the job earlier this year has filed a formal case against the employer under The Fatal Accidents Act, according to a report.
Listed as plaintiffs are the sister, parents, and two sons of Alfred Okyere, noted CBC.
The incident occurred earlier this year. The 23-year-old Okyere died in hospital after being stabbed 17 times by a co-worker while working at DSI Underground Canada, a mining supply company in Saskatoon's north end.
Troy Leclair—a 53-year-old co-worker of Okyere—has been charged with first-degree murder in the international student’s death, according to CBC.
A student at the University of Saskatchewan, Okyere had only been employed by the company for five days, according to the report. He had taken on the part-time job to help cover his expenses at the university.
In the lawsuit, Okyere’s family claims that DSI Underground, which is owned by Sandvik Canada, was negligent in failing to provide a "safe and secure work environment," noted CBC. A statement of claim was filed at the Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench earlier this month.
The family alleges that the company knew—or ought to have known—that Leclair "was violent, prone to violence, hot-headed, impulsive, or suffered from a mental disorder or condition that contributed to, exacerbated, or caused violent and impulsive behaviour," according to the report.
Okyere’s family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages, citing the "severe emotional trauma and psychological distress" caused by Okyere’s death.
The employer had not commented about the lawsuit, according to the CBC report.
The allegations have not been tested in court.
