Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini has pledged his support for a potential coroner’s inquest into the death of Vienna Rose Irwin, a two-year-old who died at a daycare near Cobourg in May 2023.
Piccini met with Vienna’s parents, Clayton and Claire Irwin, on Thursday to discuss the next steps. He shared the meeting’s details on Facebook, writing, “We can never, ever normalise the death of a child in our community. As a public policymaker, I remain committed to assisting the family, any way I can.”
Vienna was reported missing from the “Watch Me Grow Daycare” on May 25, 2023. After an intensive search, she was tragically discovered in a septic tank on the daycare property. Despite efforts to save her, she did not survive. The daycare has since closed.
While the OPP concluded their investigation late last year without laying charges, citing insufficient evidence, the Irwin family continues to seek answers. Community support has been overwhelming, with fundraisers raising over $144,000 for a private investigation.
Piccini’s support for an inquest has renewed calls for transparency and accountability. “We will never be able to bring her back,” Piccini said, “but we can come together as a community to ensure this sort of tragedy never happens again.”
(Written by: Joseph Goden)