Serenity - The Girl Who Died In Care

[killer_carlson]

This deserves its own thread.

I don't know if many people are following Edmonton Journal reporter Paula Simons' research stories about this little girl who died in care, but it's some of the best reporting i've ever seen.

Here is the first story. This is one of the most difficult news stories i've read and i'll admit this has stayed with me since i read it.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/crim...ever-forget-it

A year before her death, Serenity was at the 50th percentile for size — absolutely average. Twelve months later, her weight was so low, it’s simply not on the chart for a four-year-old girl.

Based on medical records obtained by the Journal, Serenity arrived at a hospital in central Alberta on Sept. 18, 2014, suffering from a suspected head injury, with “blown”or dilated pupils. She was four years and three months old. She weighed just 18 pounds, the weight of a typical nine-month-old baby.

Notes from the emergency room describe “multiple bruises all over her body, some green in colour and others purple.”

The notes describe bruising to the child’s pubic area. Her hymen was gone.

When she arrived at the hospital, Serenity was also suffering from severe hypothermia, with a rectal temperature of 30.1 C. Normal for a child is 37 to 38 C.

In addition to bruising on her chest and back, she had genital bruising and “unusual bruising around her anus.”

But then, she says, she was told her children would be adopted out, separately and permanently, unless she agreed to have them placed with family members in a kinship-care arrangement. Feeling she had no choice, she agreed to have the children placed with a couple who were related to her father.

How was this allowed to happen? How was it that children’s services simply gave guardianship of three children to this couple despite the allegations of abuse, then never checked up on them? How did a child starve in a province of plenty? Why, despite the horrifying medical evidence, has no one been charged with anything?

Second article: Emergency debate at the Leg. Lots of talking about action...

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...ergency-debate

Some time goes by for the third story. Citing a lack of resources the medical examiner cuts excuses why there was no report on Serenity's abuse/death/murder?

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/crim...psy-of-its-own


Here is the most recent story and she's calling out bureaucratic incompetence, ministers, AHS. It's utterly ridiculous and she's put a name and a face to a girl that was otherwise going to be buried as a statistic.



http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/c...ntil-this-week

Simons is absolutely right. 2.5 years ago the government said it was going to get it's act together. Yes, the NDP is now in charge but the bureaucrats are largely the same. Calling an "initial" meeting now is absurdly late and literally there are children dying because of this incompetence.

And the bastards that did this have still yet to be investigated by the RCMP. Because bureaucrats can't get out of their own way. Or are too busy covering for each other. Or are utterly incompetent.

One of those is correct.

[Slava]

Unreal. The minister should resign or be punted. That is just ridiculous.

[woob]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

And the bastards that did this have still yet to be investigated by the RCMP. Because bureaucrats can't get out of their own way. Or are too busy covering for each other. Or are utterly incompetent.

One of those is correct.

I'd go with all of the above, in this case.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Slava

Unreal. The minister should resign or be punted. That is just ridiculous.

I have a feeling that's exactly what will happen. I have been following this for quite a while now, but this thing is picking up steam from where it was even a couple weeks ago.

The negligence on part of two governments is simply intolerable. The fact the NDP made declarations about cleaning this up when they took over really shines a light at them now however, and Minister Sabir will take the bullet because of it. Remarkable incompetance.

It's also part of the inexperience of the NDP in totality that he is a minister at all. Calling for one more committee to study this stuff is incomprehensible.


Greg Clarke was on with Breakenridge after the press conference and was livid at what he heard and flat out said that Sabir should be fired immediately.

This one isnt done just yet.

Here is the mothers version of the story...just amazing someone didnt do anything.

http://www.newstalk770.com/2016/12/0...ly-ignored-me/

[Oling_Roachinen]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...sign-1.3887221

While the RCMP received the case file from the chief medical examiner on Sept. 15, Sabir acknowledged the "RCMP didn't at this point have the full child intervention file related to Serenity's death."

On Oct. 24, RCMP asked for further documents from the delegated authority representing Human Services in the central Alberta community where Serenity was living.

Insp. Gibson Glavin told CBC News that the RCMP had been waiting for the documentation, and on Dec. 6, received thousands of documents.

"We have now to go through them all to see what relevance they have to the investigation," said Glavin, who described the investigation as "very much alive."

...
"The RCMP got the information two nights ago, when this is being asked about in the House... for two and three weeks now," McIver said. "Absolutely ridiculous."

She died in September 2014. It took nearly two and a half years for the RCMP to be given the internal report...absolutely sickening. Irfan Sabir should be absolutely ashamed and forced to resign.

[4X4]

I'm certainly not pinning this on the doctor, but isn't it protocol for the hospital to call the police if they see something like that? Sort of like when people show up with gunshot wounds? Sexual assault and/or physical abuse on a 4 year old should be a 911 call.
How could the RCMP not be aware of this?

[killer_carlson]

I am concerned that if Sabir takes the bullet that so many others who screwed this up will get away without accountability.

This should start at the front line and cut a swath all the way up multiple departments.

[calgaryblood]

It's effing sickening how we treat First Nations in this country. Literally makes me sick.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I'm certainly not pinning this on the doctor, but isn't it protocol for the hospital to call the police if they see something like that? Sort of like when people show up with gunshot wounds? Sexual assault and/or physical abuse on a 4 year old should be a 911 call.
How could the RCMP not be aware of this?

Human Services who put this child into care, didn't follow up, didn't respond to abuse allegations

AHS for not pushing this to ensure that it got to the RCMP

Medical Examiner's office for farting around for 2 years to finish its report

Justice for not getting it's act together on an investigation

and on and on.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I am concerned that if Sabir takes the bullet that so many others who screwed this up will get away without accountability.

This should start at the front line and cut a swath all the way up multiple departments.

He's already said there won't be accountability though:

"We have work to do and I'm not here to assign blame anywhere," Sabir told a news conference at the legislature Thursday.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

It's effing sickening how we treat First Nations in this country. Literally makes me sick.

This goes well beyond First Nations and has happened to multiple kids of all races in this province.

This is an on going cancer that has been festering in the Alberta government for many many years.

I had no idea about this stuff until this story surfaced and have now heard about some others.

Again, remakable incompetance and everyone has been covering their asses or someone elses for some time now.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I'm certainly not pinning this on the doctor, but isn't it protocol for the hospital to call the police if they see something like that? Sort of like when people show up with gunshot wounds? Sexual assault and/or physical abuse on a 4 year old should be a 911 call.
How could the RCMP not be aware of this?

I was actually wondering that same thing. I thought that doctors had some kind of duty to report these things?

But how do these people sleep at night? I mean the "grandmother" who drops her off at the hospital knows what happened, or at least that she didn't fall off a tire swing. Then the doctors know...and it just goes on and on. It really horrific and yet here we are two years later with the bungling still going on in the ministers office.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Human Services who put this child into care, didn't follow up, didn't respond to abuse allegations

AHS for not pushing this to ensure that it got to the RCMP

Medical Examiner's office for farting around for 2 years to finish its report

Justice for not getting it's act together on an investigation

and on and on.

I agree. A lot of heads need to roll here. First and foremost, the person that did this should be getting 20+ years in general population, with 'child rapist' tattooed on his pathetic face.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

He's already said there won't be accountability though:

Holy crap. I was on the side of give the new nwish minister a chance until I saw that quote.

There was a rape and murder of a little girl, which the government effectively facilitated, and then never really investigated.

If that isn't an appropriate time for blame, when is it appropriate?

[SeeGeeWhy]

Disgusting... that poor girl.

[killer_carlson]

Don Braid now joins with a powerful piece, calling out the government secrecy.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...ult-of-secrecy

That’s entirely beside the point. Nothing happened until Postmedia columnist Paula Simons broke the story on Nov. 18. Everything since has been reaction to that. We’re entitled to conclude that if details of Serenity’s case hadn’t been published, silence and inaction would persist.

The cult of secrecy is supposed to protect siblings of victims, but there’s no evidence it shields anything but government departments that make massive blunders like the ones leading to Serenity’s death. Care workers failed to check in on this family for the crucial months before she died, despite ample signs of trouble.

Could any of this happen because she was a First Nations child whose death and identity may be kept secret, by law? Quite possibly.

Would there be such secrecy if a child on your street died after being starved and brutalized? Not a chance.

Serenity had widespread injuries, to her head, anus and genitals. Her hymen was gone. Severely hypothermic, she had dwindled from normal size down to 18 lbs, the weight of a nine-month old baby.

Serenity could have been saved in the months before she died. Failing that, justice might at least have honoured her memory.

[Dion]

The Human Services minister was bombarded with questions and calls for his resignation during question period. Yet Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman would only say that mistakes were made and we as a party support this minister going forward

You can see all questions and comments made in the link below. It starts at 1:50 of the video. The lengths the NDP go to defend their minister is disgusting

http://assemblyonline.assembly.ab.ca...1208&browser=0

[Dion]

Irfan Sabir won't resign, says he's 'absolutely' done a good job, launches child death review panel

Nor will he assign blame for the two-year delay in getting the girl’s case to police, he said Thursday as he announced an all-party panel to investigate the child intervention system.

“I won’t step down because it’s important work, I have an important job to do,” Sabir told reporters.

“Here is the action plan — that’s how we move forward to make sure we have proper safeguards in place. We have supports in place for families so we can avoid similar incidents from happening.”

Sabir wouldn’t say if anyone will lose their job over the Serenity case, repeating only that the panel, of which he will be an ex officio member, will be “finding solutions” to safeguard children in government care.

On Wednesday night, Sabir told Edmonton Journal columnist Paula Simons that his department had not given an internal case file about Serenity to the RCMP until this week.

That file was supposed to go to the RCMP in 2015, but instead police had to reach out to the department for the information.

RCMP Insp. Gibson Glavin confirmed Thursday the RCMP received a link to Serenity’s case file on Nov. 22 this year, but it was in a format police were unable to open.

They eventually accessed the information Dec. 6.

While the police awaited the files, Glavin said officers continued to investigate other areas of the case.

In Question Period Thursday, Sabir said Simons “did not have all the facts.”

But when he was given the chance to explain himself late Wednesday night, three hours after Simons’ story broke and the Opposition first demanded his resignation, Sabir refused to speak with Postmedia at the legislative building. Nor did his staff respond to multiple requests for information on the phone, via email and text message.

Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said Sabir’s handling of the file was an example of “sheer incompetence.”

He called repeatedly for Sabir’s resignation Thursday, and said it was “ridiculous” that the minister will not assign blame in the death of a child.

“I expect the premier to demand his resignation, as is fitting,” Jean said.

That didn’t happen.

Instead, deputy premier Sarah Hoffman told the house her caucus has complete confidence in Sabir and Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley.

Ganley told Postmedia Thursday morning she was confident she, as a minister, did enough to follow up on the Serenity file.

There were some communication issues between the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Child and Youth Advocate, she said, but those processes will be changed.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/poli...vention-system

[CaptainCrunch]

disgusting and typical NDP arrogance. If the minister can look in the mirror and say that a good job was done, it feels like I'm looking at a sociopath.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

disgusting and typical NDP arrogance. If the minister can look in the mirror and say that a good job was done, it feels like I'm looking at a sociopath.

I thought his most offensive comment was along the lines of "I'm not going to resign because there is important work to be done"

Yes there is, and you're not doing it!