[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.