Winnipeg family wants answers after teen boy dies in CFS care
Boy, 17, found dead in a car in a sand ditch on Lester Beach on May 29
The details surrounding the death of a 17 year old foster kid found dead in a car last week will not be released to the public, says the province's Child and Family Services department.
RCMP confirm the body of the young man was found in a car in a sand ditch on Lester Beach in the early hours of May 29.
RCMP said it appears to be a suicide, and an autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death.
"Well, the whole family is pretty devastated. It's a shock," said the boy's grandfather. CBC is not identifying the grandfather or the boy at this time.
The boy's grandfather said the teen was in foster care most of his life and that he was a good kid who never showed signs of depression.
He said the last time he saw his grandson was last year, but he kept in touch with him regularly by phone.
"The last time I talked to him, he was telling me about his plans, how he planned to go to university and get a job in Winnipeg. He always seemed positive and he had friends," he said.
The grandfather said he learned of the death over the weekend after getting a call from a social worker. He said at the time, the social worker didn't tell the family how the teen had died or whether it was a suspected suicide.
"We're just trying to process the grief. It really doesn't matter whether he did it or he had an accident or whatever, he's dead," he said. "He's a 17 year old kid who's not coming back who had dreams and hopes, and it's very, very sad."
Provincial officials said they can't disclose details of any child's involvement with a CFS agency citing confidentiality issues under the CFS Act.
In an emailed statement to CBC the province said the Office of the Children's Advocate is required to investigate the death of any child receiving services and the circumstances surrounding their death.
A report released last month by the Office of the Children's Advocate looked at youth suicide in Manitoba.
The report found the average age of children who take their lives is 15, and "nearly all" youth suicide deaths are from hanging.
The report examined 50 cases of youth suicide who had CFS involvement from 2009 to 2013 and found six major "themes" or commonalities among the deaths.
They included poor school attendance, a history of hospitalisation for suspicious injuries or mental health crises, criminal justice involvement.