A Kelowna, B.C., man who is a first-time inmate at a Kamloops jail has lost an eye in a violent attack — and his family is demanding answers.

Family members say Michel Fougere, 21, is in hospital recovering from brain surgery after he was stabbed in the eye by his cellmate at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre on Oct. 20.

"He was in the cell playing Scrabble when this … chap all the sudden told him he was putting black magic on him, and he attacked him with two pencils," said Fougere's stepfather, Enrico Cavina.

Enrico Cavina feels jail officials should have done more to keep his stepson safe. (CBC)

Mark Lindsay has been charged with aggravated assault in the attack. Lindsay, the adopted son of Edmonton's former police chief, is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Lindsay was in the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre on unrelated aggravated assault and robbery charges.

Lindsay made headlines earlier this year, after he pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon for stabbing his girlfriend, Dana Turner, in the head.

Days after Lindsay was released from prison on the conviction, Turner disappeared. Her body was found Oct. 9 near Innisfail, Alta., and police are calling her death suspicious.

'Fighting for his life'

Fougere is under guard at Victoria General Hospital after undergoing surgery to remove fragments of pencil from his brain.

Cavina said his stepson, who is facing robbery charges, has never been in prison before — and wants to know why he was put in a cell with a violent offender.

"He's not psychologically safe to be put with other people and that violates my son … his rights were violated because he has the right to be safe in jail," Cavina said.

"They should have taken better care to make sure he's safe," he added. "He was fighting for his life because there were no guards around and he was trying to push the emergency button."

In a written statement, a B.C. Corrections spokesperson called the incident unfortunate and said their "sympathies go out to the inmate and his family."

B.C. Corrections said inmates are assigned to cells based on "a careful risk assessment." Officials are conducting an independent critical incident review in addition to an RCMP investigation.