By Canadian Press

System failed slain Quebec girl, youth protection internal probe finds

Jul 3, 2019 | 12:25 PM

MONTREAL — An internal probe has found no one person or service can shoulder the blame for lapses in the case of a slain seven-year-old Quebec girl who’d been followed by youth protection.

It found the system as a whole failed her at different times and in different ways and that a “succession of events that should not have occurred” led to a high-risk situation before her death.

The findings of the regional health board in the Eastern Townships region also come with 14 recommendations to prevent a recurrence.

The Quebec government has ordered several other investigations into the case of the young girl, who’d been followed by youth protection services from birth and whose death sparked outrage across the province and raised questions about the effectiveness of the system to assist at-risk children.

Official told a news conference today that the social safety net wasn’t effective enough to prevent the death of the girl, whose identity is protected by court order.

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She was found in critical condition in her family home in Granby, about 80 kilometres east of Montreal, on April 29 and died a day later in hospital.

The victim’s stepmother faces one count of second-degree murder, unlawful confinement and aggravated assault.

The young girl’s father faces four charges: criminal negligence causing, death, unlawful confinement, failing to provide the necessities of life and child abandonment.

“The analysis of the event revealed that throughout the life of this child, the health and social services network offered her a wide range of services and her family,” the health board said in a statement. “All stakeholders and managers involved with them have demonstrated their commitment to this family.”

The Canadian Press