A Vancouver Island woman who refused to accept that her daughter died from an accidental overdose is relieved things have been cleared up.

on WednesdayTracy Sims received a report from the BC Coroners Service, which reclassified the death of her daughter, Samantha Sims-Somerville, as a homicide. The service initially ruled that she accidentally overdosed on GHB, a date rape drug.

“When I read the report, the emotions I felt are very difficult to explain,” Sims told CTV News. “It was shock, it was relief, it was anger. “It was like they were telling me the news again.”

Samantha died in 2021 after losing consciousness at a party in Victoria. She was 18 years old.

Sims is convinced her daughter was drugged and sexually assaulted. For the past three and a half years, he has been gathering evidence to prove it.

Some of the people at the party were convicted drug dealers, Sims said, and he has screenshots of text messages saying Samantha and a friend, who survived, were drugged.

In March, the The coroner reopened his investigation. after new information emerged.

“The follow-up investigation revealed evidence that Samantha and her friend intentionally received an unregulated substance, without their knowledge, from another individual at the residence,” the coroner’s report says.

“The evidence supports that another person intentionally provided GHB to Samantha.”

Sims said he has lost faith in the justice system.

“How many deaths that are overdoses or sexual assaults are going to be classified as accidental?” she said.

“How many more parents will have to go through what I went through and face the system alone instead of taking the time to grieve and accept the loss of their child?”

Another police investigation?

While the coroner’s reclassification gives Sims some peace, she said true justice would see charges filed. VicPD said it is too early to say whether the file will be reopened.

“My only concern is that if it’s investigated again and it’s done by the Victoria Police Department, it’s going to go wrong again because they did a terrible job the first time,” Sims said.

The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is investigating Sims’ allegation that the VicPD investigation was inadequate. The department said it cannot comment on an active OPCC file.

“That does not deny Victoria Police its obligation under the Police Act to investigate the crime and continue the investigation with any new evidence,” said CTV public safety analyst Chris Lewis.

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they’re going to find out who gave the drugs to the victim, but they at least have to find out what the coroner knows and do more investigation to try to build the case.”

The Coroners Service noted that the term “homicide” does not imply guilt or fault.

“Homicide means that a death occurred as a result of an action that someone took,” said Lewis, former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. “If the intent was to kill, then it is murder and that is a criminal offense.”

Sims said he’s done with his detective work for now.

“No one should have to go through what I went through and figure it out on their own,” he said. “I’ve done enough. Can someone now pick up the pieces and go on and do their job?