• Connect to CKNW
Related Links

UPDATES:Child and Youth rep hammers government over taser case
VICTORIA/CKNW (AM980)
Sean Leslie | Email news tips to Sean
2/7/2013

BC's Child and Youth representative has released a scathing report on the life of an 11-year old boy who was tasered by police in 2011.


Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafonde says the Ministry of Children and Family Development made serious errors that left the child subject to abuse and neglect, both in his birth home and subsequent residential placements.


The aboriginal child with complex special needs was subject to 15 moves after entering into government care, and Turpel- Lafonde says police were called too often to help control his behaviour.


She says the child was often locked in a so-called "safe room", which repeatedly re-traumatized him.


She says that practise has to end.


She says the tasering incident, and most of the 22 critical injuries reported about the child could have been prevented had the ministry invested in a proper residential care system with trained and qualifed staff.


She says the ministry has to act to prevent a repeat of this story.


The child remains in government care.

N-D-P critic Claire Trevena says the report is appalling and the Liberals are to blame.

"The representative has certain recommendations and some which have to be acted on....the fact that a child can be isolated in this way is fundamentally against their human rights, but it shows there's been a ministry in turmoil for many many years."

For her part, Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux is promising to adopt all of the report's recommendations.

"This case is tragic and you can't read the report without feeling a sense of great disappointment, heartbreak and in fact anger....it is clear from this report that decisions were made throughout this child's life that were not in his best interest."

Cadieux says the ministry will immediately stop sanctioning isolation rooms, and will open six new beds at the maples treatment facility for children in care with complex special needs.

 


 «  Return to previous page
 »  Send to a friend
Subscribe to channel

Leave a comment:

showing all comments · Subscribe to comments
Comment Like
  • 10
  1. LordofLangley posted on 02/07/2013 10:55 AM
    Christy Clarks " Family First ", ya right, another blunder from the BC Liberals.
  2. Garp posted on 02/07/2013 01:54 PM
    Children are low on the government's priority; hence lack of funding for child protection and education. Not to worry though, I strongly suspect the justice system will take care of him eventually.

    Keep up the good work Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafonde and shame the government into action.
  3. JacquelineA posted on 02/07/2013 02:03 PM
    Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafonde is an amazing advocate for children...the current Liberal government would do well to heed her words and the NDP, should they get elected in May, better be prepared to do better than what is currently happening.

    No talk, action please from all parties to help children.
  4. Brian WA posted on 02/07/2013 05:01 PM
    Boy! Is this ever a familiar refrain. The Government is at fault (NDP) critic Claire Trevena says and she is right. This song has been sung before and the case of Mathew Vaudreuil, Amanda Simpson, Savanna Hall, Rowan VonNiederhausen, Serena Wiebe were all covered in the Gove inquiry . The NDP were at the helm when most of these cases were brought to light. There are always going to be these types of unacceptable stories brought to our attention and we are all going to be indignant but none of us are willing to take these Kids and give them the attention that we so wish they could have.
    1. HJDH posted on 02/07/2013 05:27 PM
      @ Brian WA I applaud your efforts to save Liberal face, but it is what it is and the facts speak for themselves! Liberals don’t give a dam about kids – after all they don’t vote!
  5. BillF_8 posted on 02/07/2013 06:32 PM
    The Liberals don't give a crap about children, the average working person or the elderly. That flake Clark is nowhere to be seen at times like this as usual. No photo ops I guess for Clark. This whole lot has to go the sooner the better.
  6. bctaxpayer posted on 02/07/2013 08:09 PM
    You should all know by now that risky Clark and the BC lie berals Are Not to be trusted.Do Not vote them back as they are indeed corrupt.
  7. LoniE posted on 02/08/2013 09:33 AM
    HOW MANY YEARS DO WE HAVE TO HEAR A SIMILAR STORY ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF OUR CHILDREN BEING ABUSED BY THE SYSTEM MEANT TO PROTECT THEM?
    BC LIBERAL PARTY FAILURE! AGAIN! Liberals care more for the appearance of 'Family First' than they do in actual fact. We have heard this story or variations of it for years now under the Liberal government. This has got to change. The Liberals have run their course. Time for change.....
showing all comments