NeurVana owners leave country

More people are stepping forward and saying their children were the victims of abuse and neglect at the hands of David and Susan Kenney, who ran the NeurVana Recovery and Wellness Centre in Kelowna.

Photo: Contributed - LinkedIn

David Kenney

A lawyer representing the three original families named in the civil suit now says a fourth family has stepped forward to become part of the litigation, and that number could rise even higher.

“We’ve had two other families contact us, as parents of children who were placed in NeurVana. And then I believe we’ve had four former employees (or volunteers) contact us as well,” says Marco Francesco Lilliu.

With so many people accusing the Kenney’s of injustice, the possibility of a class action lawsuit has been raised, but Lilliu says that is unlikely.

“The logistics of the case might make it more suitable for individual actions for a number of reasons. Although they all have a common thread, they’re quite different. Every child was treated differently and had different issues.”

He adds that parents are expressing additional outrage after learning the Kenney’s have skipped town and left the country. They are believed to have settled in the Cayman Islands where they are said to be attempting to open the same business once again.

“I know from speaking with my clients that they’re extremely disappointed and frustrated,” he says.

“Its quite unfortunate that they’ve up and left the jurisdiction, for one. And two, its also unfortunate, at least in our opinion, that they’re setting up shop in the Cayman Islands.”

The centre, which was actually a private residence, was shut down in December by Interior Health after finding out it was operating without a license under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act.

Lilliu says he is currently awaiting a response to the civil claims and expects to hear from the Kenney’s lawyer by the middle of next month.