Warning: This story contains a description of child neglect.
An investigation by B.C.’s Office of the Ombudsperson has revealed years of missed opportunities to protect three severely neglected children, despite multiple reports to social services.
The siblings, who lived in Fort St. John and elsewhere in the Interior, were taken into care in December 2023. Their relatives described them as “feral,” suffering from malnutrition, and forced to live in filthy conditions. A probe found six separate child protection reports were made over a four-year span, yet no effective action was taken until the parents themselves said they could no longer cope.
Some reports were dismissed due to communication issues or overlooked when the family moved. Police visited the home twice, once finding a child unclothed in the street, but social services still did not intervene. The Ombudsperson’s report says the ministry failed to follow its own policies, including required home visits.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development says staff have now received additional training and that new screening procedures are in place. The RCMP has confirmed an active and complex criminal investigation is ongoing.
The children’s guardian says the long delay caused lasting harm and fears other vulnerable kids are still being overlooked by the system.
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