The recent conviction of a man from Saint John, who fatally stabbed his two sons last year, has left many in shock and seeking understanding about how such an event could transpire and what can be done to avert similar occurrences.
Roman Kamyshnyy, aged 46, received a sentence last week of two concurrent life terms in prison, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, following a jury convicting him in June on two counts of first-degree murder concerning the deaths of his sons, who were 10 and 17 years old.
Domestic violence specialist Peter Jaffe, a psychologist and researcher from London, Ontario, noted that most individuals “can’t even imagine” a parent taking the life of their own child.
However, he pointed out that approximately 30 children in Canada are killed by a parent each year, referencing a study encompassing over 1,600 cases spanning 50 years.
About half of these child homicides, referred to as filicides, occur in contexts of intimate partner violence, according to Jaffe, who is a professor emeritus at Western University and the former director of the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children.
Such incidents frequently arise when a woman departs from an abusive relationship, leading her former partner to kill the children as a form of retribution, he explained.
“The male feels anger towards his partner for leaving, and the most painful way he can retaliate is by harming the children,” he remarked.
N.B. ranks highest in Atlantic Canada for domestic violence homicides
A study published earlier this year indicated that New Brunswick recorded the highest rate of domestic violence-related homicides in Atlantic Canada from 2012 to 2022, with 33 out of 75 known victims.
When adjusted for population size, New Brunswick also showed the highest annual death rate among the four provinces, at 0.35 per 100,000 individuals, surpassing the average of 0.26.
While most victims in New Brunswick were intimate partners of the accused, six percent were children.
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Mary Aspinall, an assistant professor in the criminology and criminal justice department at St. Thomas University in Fredericton and a member of the New Brunswick Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, stated, “In the cases we observe where children are killed, they often are not the primary target.”
Instead, she noted, children are frequently utilized as a “weapon” to inflict further pain on the other parent, typically the mother. Aspinall has participated in both provincial and national research groups, including the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative.
In the aftermath of Roman Kamyshnyy’s sentencing, who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his sons in Saint John, two domestic violence specialists express that the homicide threat to children during parental breakups is often overlooked by families and frontline professionals alike, highlighting the need for society to be better informed on recognizing warning signs.
Experts assert that the dangers to children during parental separations are frequently unnoticed by mothers, friends, family, and even frontline professionals.
They emphasize the necessity for society to enhance awareness of these risks and learn to identify early warning signs.
Children’s lives wielded as a weapon, Crown argued
The Crown contended in Kamyshnyy’s trial that the murders were “motivated by revenge;” he allegedly used his sons’ lives as a means to punish his ex-wife for her purported infidelity.
The woman, referred to as Witness A due to a publication ban, had divorced him just two months prior and had taken a trip to Europe with another man the week before the murders, as revealed in court sessions.
A thumbnail of a video sent by Roman Kamyshnyy to his father on the morning of the alleged murders, included in the validation report of digital forensic examiner Robert Faulkner. (Court of King’s Bench exhibit)
On January 29, 2025, police in Saint John discovered the bodies of the boys in their family’s north-end apartment, where Kamyshnyy resided until he was able to secure his own accommodation. Both boys had been stabbed numerous times.
Authorities also found Kamyshnyy, who had attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head twice with a nail gun, as well as a handwritten note directed at Canadian officials in which he took complete responsibility for the “situation,” as the court was informed.
Never believed he would harm the boys
Witness A stated in an email sent to CBC News through her attorney, Mel Norton, that she “never imagined [Kamyshnyy] would harm the children.”
“She would never have left them alone with [him] had she believed that,” it mentioned.
It remains unclear based on trial evidence whether Kamyshnyy’s ex-wife had previously filed any reports against him with authorities in Canada or in Ukraine. She claimed they never had public disputes or arguments in front of the children and mentioned that the boys adored their father.
Witness A declined to provide further comments through Norton, who highlighted the potential for a defense appeal.
Allegations of prior physical abuse by the Crown
During a pre-trial hearing in May, while discussing the judge’s upcoming guidelines for the jury regarding motive and the necessity for limiting instructions to keep jurors concentrated on the murder charges rather than any prior conduct, Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell alleged a history of physical intimate partner violence.
“We will not be addressing any physical assaultive behavior—what I would categorize as ‘uncharged conduct,’” she informed Justice Darrell Stephenson. “The evidence the Crown will present is strictly related to marital breakdown.”
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Saint John man fatally stabbed his own sons, altered publication ban reveals
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Judge had urged man convicted of murdering son and teenager to plead guilty to spare ex-partner from testifying
“So, that does not involve domestic abuse?” the judge inquired.
“Correct. Hence, we are requesting no cautionary instruction,” Campbell affirmed.
Economic and housing challenges heighten risk
Although Jaffe has not performed a thorough analysis of the Kamyshnyy case, he indicated that based on media coverage, it aligns with the profile of many other child homicides he has studied, typically involving “separation, jealousy, and revenge.”
This trend corresponds with a troubling pattern he has noticed in domestic homicides, where separated partners continue to share a residence for financial reasons.
Such scenarios are becoming “increasingly common,” Jaffe remarked, citing economic challenges and a housing shortage.
Domestic violence specialist Peter Jaffe stated that cohabitating after separation ‘can be highly hazardous.’ (Submitted by Peter Jaffe/Western University)
While some women express concern for their children’s safety after a separation, others may feel secure because “they do not envision this kind of outcome,” he noted.
“They recognize their partners as no longer being suitable intimate companions, yet still believe they care for the children,” he added.
Aspinall highlighted a persistent misconception, even among some professionals, that conflicts between partners are detached from their children.
In various instances, no harm has occurred to the children, but “once the relationship has ended and the perpetrator attempts to regain control over the other parent … the children become a means of achieving that aim,” she explained.
Separation is ‘a perilous phase’
Aspinall remarked that the conclusion of a relationship consistently serves as “a significant risk factor that we observe repeatedly.”
According to Jaffe, an actual or potential separation is frequently “the most perilous period” for women and children.
In many situations, one partner has been dissatisfied for an extended period and is prepared to move forward, while the other partner remains in denial about the separation and hopes for a change of heart, he noted.
“They often become despondent and dwell on ways to seek revenge,” Jaffe stated, recognizing that many couples unable to afford two households may remain living together post-separation.
Domestic violence specialist Mary Aspinall indicated that separation may heighten risk for certain individuals and that safety planning must be ongoing. (Submitted by Mary Aspinall)
“It’s a genuine dilemma.”
However, if the separation is not mutual, he advises against living under the same roof and suggests seeking refuge with family, friends, or in shelters.
Multiple risk factors frequently exist
According to Jaffe, domestic homicides seldom occur “out of nowhere.” As a founding member of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, which has analyzed 606 fatalities since 2003, he noted that a list of 41 risk factors associated with victims and perpetrators has been compiled.
Of the 463 homicides, which included 49 children and youth aged 18 or younger, the majority were preceded by at least seven identified risk factors, he stated.
Jaffe pointed out that the most frequent risk factor is a history of domestic violence, which encompasses not only physical abuse but also emotional, psychological, and financial abuse, threats, and controlling behavior.
Other indicators include the introduction of a new intimate partner in the victim’s life, excessive substance use, depression, sexual jealousy, misogynistic attitudes, obsessive behaviors like stalking, and an increase in violence or threats, especially when individuals express alarming sentiments in front of friends or family, he noted.
Kamyshnyy made a videotaped statement to Sgt. Tony Gilbert, of the Saint John Police Force’s major crime unit, on April 23, 2026. (Court of King’s Bench voir dire exhibit)
Kamyshnyy testified that he began consuming wine and beer in the months leading up to the murders to cope with the stress of the marital breakdown. He also admitted to accessing his ex-wife’s social media accounts without permission to read her private messages and placing a GPS tracker on the family vehicle to monitor her whereabouts.
He believed she should focus on her job and family, he stated in a recorded police interview. “It would be much better.”
He expressed dissatisfaction with her going out with friends and was upset that upon returning home from his work as a truck driver after several days, she did not cook for him and say, “You were at work, here’s some food. Relax.” Instead, he claimed it was, “Do it yourself.”
Awareness of risk factors is crucial
Jaffe emphasized that a vital aspect of preventing filicides is ensuring that family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers are knowledgeable about the warning signs.
He advocated for this to occur through public case reviews, media coverage, and educational initiatives, including mandatory school programs focused on healthy relationships.
“An informed community serves as the first line of defense,” he stated.
Publication bans still prevent the identification of Roman Kamyshnyy’s victims or his ex-wife, the mother of the boys. However, CBC News is now able to disclose all relationships involved in this case of domestic violence “motivated by vengeance.” Please note: This video includes graphic content and depictions of domestic violence.
Aspinall asserted that there needs to be a “paradigm shift” in how relationship abuse is perceived and understood.
She highlighted the “deep-seated myths and stereotypes” surrounding intimate partner violence, such as the notion that physical abuse is the only form of “real” abuse and that mistreatment of a partner has no bearing on one’s capacity to be a responsible parent.
Traditionally, society and the criminal justice system have viewed intimate partner violence as isolated incidents that cause injury, but these only represent a momentary glimpse, Aspinall noted.
“We need to start considering the relationship as a whole—whether it’s individuals in these situations who may have concerns or the professionals responding to them—and the abuser’s behaviors from a broader viewpoint,” she emphasized.
What to do upon recognizing warning signs
When individuals do observe warning signs, Jaffe recommends that they express their concern to the victim and offer support.
They can assist the victim by ensuring they have access to resources, such as helplines and shelters, and should refrain from passing judgment for staying in a situation while they devise a safety plan, he recommended.
If there is an immediate threat to safety, they should contact law enforcement.
Advocacy for changes in assessment tools
Jaffe emphasized the necessity for frontline professionals, including police officers, family doctors, counselors, and family lawyers, to receive better training to recognize risks at an early stage.
Aspinall believes the risk-assessment tools currently used by service providers in Canada, including an Ontario evaluation that assesses the likelihood of reoffending and a danger assessment for lethality risk, should be revised to include evaluations focused on the risk of harm to children.
She suggested that this should encompass an assessment of coercive control.
Encouraged by the criminalization of coercive control
Aspinall, who has participated in discussions regarding the criminalization of coercive control in intimate relationships, defined it as a pattern of abusive behavior designed to isolate, control, and dominate another individual over time, often stripping them of their independence and identity.
Examples can include humiliation, controlling finances, dictating whom the other person interacts with, and regulating access to resources like vehicles.
Aspinall explained that this is a subtle form of harm and a common precursor to domestic homicides.
She remains optimistic about recent reforms to the Criminal Code, which are anticipated to be implemented by June 2028, allowing time to train law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges.
Hopeful for the future
Jaffe is hopeful that domestic homicides can be diminished over the next generation, but he believes it will require “genuine” commitment.
“We understand the solutions,” he stated, referring to numerous provincial and national reports and recommendations that have emerged following inquiries and inquests over the years.
“What has been lacking is the political will to implement an effective plan and to allocate appropriate funding.”
“It’s about actions, not just words.”
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others, please call 911. For those affected by family or intimate partner violence, resources are available through crisis lines and local support services