'Dismal' communications endangered kids in Sherry Charlie case: report
A communications breakdown led to athree-year-old being left for five more months in theVancouver Islandhomewhere his sister had been beaten to death by their uncle, says a new report on Sherry Charlie.
B.C. Child and Youth Officer Jane Morleycites a lack of leadership and "dismal" communications among the various government agencies involved after the little girl's death in Port Alberni in 2002.
Morley is particularly critical of the coroner's office for not sharing information on the cause of death.
Morley says it was evident within days thatthe toddler's death was highlysuspicious, but the coroner did not provide details of her injuries to the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
So Sherry's three-year-old brother, Jamie, was left by the ministry for five more months in the home of their uncle, Ryan George, who later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is now serving a 10-year prison sentence.
George's own three children also remained with him.
Morley said that if the results of the interim autopsy report been shared immediately with the ministry, the children would almost certainly have been removed from the George home.
She notes that the coroner's office takes the position it is responsible for the dead, not the living.
Morley also criticizes the Ministry of Children and Family Development for a lack of leadership.
The minister, Tom Christensen,is promising improvements, saying mistakes were made.
"There is a lack of understanding, or a lack of sufficient understanding of the duty to report under the child protection legislation when somebody believes that a childmay be in need of protection."
NDP Leader Carole James blames the government for the confusion about roles. She says cuts and reorganization, including cuts to the budget for the coroner's office, have created chaos.
Charlie's death ledto an internal review by the government, an inquest, an inquiry headed by retired judge Ted Hughes and three different reviews by Morley.