Demand answers

The accusations against a man now convicted of sexually abusing two children in his care were made to police and the Children’s Aid Society in 2005— seven years ago. A then-11 year old told police and her Children’s Aid Society caseworkers that the man being paid to care for her was having sex with her in his home—a home he shared with his wife and other children.

The police and the Crown anguished over what to do but concluded they didn’t have sufficient evidence to make charges stick in 2005. Presumption of innocence is a key pillar in our judicial system and the burden of proof must be compelling. If the Crown had pushed and failed, it may have jeopardized any chance of convicting the man in the future. It was the word of an 11-year-old girl against that of a man in his sixties.

It was a sad and disappointing outcome. The young girl had battled through the domineering and oppressive control of her foster parent and brought the horrifying details of his abuse out into the open. Yet nothing happened. Justice did not come.

But things were about to get unimaginably worse. Rather than find a new place for her to live, the Children’s Aid Society sent her back to the home of the man she accused of abusing her.

It would take another five years of abuse— and two more young girls to come forward with accusations against the man—before charges were laid. In the meantime, she was forced to endure the most despicable violation— day after day. Knowing that no one was coming to save her. There would be no escape from this hell.

As she explained in a statement at the man’s sentencing hearing last week, she was forced to grow up much earlier than a child ever should.

She says she is stronger. She is clearly determined and driven. Yet it is hard to imagine how she endured—how she survived. Particularly since the individuals and institutions charged with protecting her were the very ones either abusing her, or putting her in harm’s way. She says no one can understand what she has endured.

Only after charges were laid in 2010 did the CAS finally remove children from this man’s care.

The now 71-year-old man is set to spend a goodly portion, if not all, of his remaining days on this earth in prison, pending an appeal of his conviction.

There is another culprit that has yet to be dealt with, however.

The CAS had enough information in 2005 that it should not have sent a vulnerable child back into this evil home. Even if there were holes in the 11 year old’s story—why take the risk? Why did she have to go back there? Were there no other options?

Perhaps there wasn’t enough evidence to bring a conviction in 2005, but there were plenty of warning signs that should have prevented the CAS from even considering sending this girl back in there. There were enough suspicions that they ought to have removed all the children in the care of this man and his wife.

This case reveals fundamental and unforgivable breaches of the responsibility we have entrusted to this public agency. CAS exists precisely to protect vulnerable children from harm. The state puts these children in CAS care to ensure their safety.

Yet it is clear now that the CAS has, instead of protecting children, put several children in this community in harm’s way. It failed to heed warnings that bad things were happening to children in its care. It is, at least partly, responsible for what happened to these children. They cannot hide behind ignorance, due process or vague promises to do better. They had one primary duty and they failed.

This agency must be held to account for its actions. The board must step in and clean house. It is clear now that there is rot in this organization. It must be exposed and cleared out. If the board won’t do it—the province must.

We owe it to one 18 year-old-girl who was betrayed by the very people we put in charge of looking out for her.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca