In Memorium: Mark Edward Dexel Another Father Killed by Canada's Family Court System
Yet another Canadian father has died at the hands of the Canadian family court system. Mark Edward Dexel, the devoted father of a small son, was banned from seeing his son by a cruel system of bad lawyers and uncaring judges. His depression was complete -- so complete that Mark Dexel could not carry on and instead hung himself on January 23, 2003.
Mark here in December 2003 supporting a few things; a new haircut (seems weird seeing him with our hair), a PCBC T-shirt, and on his right arm a new tattoo dedicated to his youngest son who had not seen in just over a year at the time his life ended
This page is dedicated to the pain of Mark Dexel. He is not alone in Canada. In 1999 more than 3,200 men committed suicide according to Statistics Canada. From statistics hidden in Canada, but noted in other countries, we would expect that more than 2,100 of these deaths were the directly related to the impact of the courts on men going through divorce and separation. These judges pile up the bodies, like Mark's, on a daily basis but not one cares, least of all the judiciary.
Canada is at a time when historic changes are finally to be made to the Divorce Act after years of studies and polls that show ways to eliminate these stresses on men and children and to save lives. Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon of Canada has instead decides to ignore all those studies and introduced legislation in the form of Bill C-22 that will simply make the entire situation more volatile and more deadly. This is Minister Cauchon's legacy to Canada -- and Mark Dexel should not have been a legacy.
This site is one of many in memory of a man, a father, who just wanted to be a Dad and who could not continue when he was denied.
All we can provide for Mark Dexel now is his story — a story that we can only hope will help you understand these thousands of Canadian men who die each year. Here you can find:
- A short obituary;
- Press release concerning this tragic event;
- the "consent" court order that Mark did not wish to consent to;
- Mark's suicide notes;
- a letter sent to members of the federal parliament and the provincial legislative assemblies;
- Kamloops This Week article on Mark's death: Death of a dad's dreams (February 5, 2003);
- Kamloops This Week article on the proposed changes to the Divorce Act: Change not enough (February 5, 2003);
- Kamloops Daily News article on Mark's death: This is too much for me (February 5, 2003) (the article confuses anger, which keeps one going, and despair for some reason);
- Kamloops Daily News article on Mark's death: Ex-girlfriend miffed at how custody battle is portrayed (February 10, 2003) (a rather embarassing reflection on the bad-mouthing in a newspaper — the foli-a-deux of DSM-IV?);
- Kamloops This Week Letter to the Editor from Mark's father: A son's legacy (February 12, 2003);
- Kamloops This Week Letter to the Editor: KTW applauded (February 12, 2003).
Too many fathers have felt this pain in Canada, and around the world. In what the courts have made a battle to preserve children and parenthood we must stand strong in the memory of those whose light has been extinguished. Seek the strength of the numbers of other parents who care about our children, and actively seek to ensure that no more children or parents die as the result of family law system in Canada.
And what is the memory that's valued so highly
that we keep it alive in that flame?
What's the commitment for those who have died,
when we cry out they have not died in vain?
We have come this far always believing that
justice would somehow prevail.
This is the burden, this is the promise,
and THIS is why we will not fail.
-- Peter Yarrow
Condolences to Mark's family can be left at:
iloved@all-mychildren.com. For further information, please contact:
Todd Eckert (250)554-1418 or (250)314-7722
President Parent and Child Advocacy Coalition
Past President of Parents Coalition of British Columbia
Member Parents of Broken Families
And spokesman for the family and personal friend of Mark Edward Dexel:
(With permission from Mark�s Family)
