Report into death of Granby girl finds 'gaps at every level' of youth protection system

A report by Quebec's Human and Youth Rights Commission states there were shortcomings at "every stage of the clinical and legal processes" that were supposed to protect a seven-year-old Granby girl who died in April, 2019.

The girl died in hospital a day after she was found in critical condition in her father's home.

Hundreds of Quebecers attended the funeral for the girl, who was being followed by youth protection. 

The commission's report makes recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Families and the Ministry of Higher Education.  

The recommendations include better training for early childhood educators on the Youth Protection Act, and a review by the Ministry of Health and Social Services into the working conditions of youth protection workers in order to improve staff recruitment and retention. 

"Children should not be victims of breaks in services and repeated changes of case workers," stated Suzanne Arpin, vice-president of the commission, in the report. "Children deserve to be known by the people who need to protect them, and to establish a quality counselling relationship with them." 

Johanne Fleurant, the director of youth protection at the regional health agency (the CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS), told Radio-Canada in an email that the commission's recommendations are in line with those proposed by her organization.

She wrote that youth protection in the Eastern Townships has been working with the regional representatives from the ministries listed in the report. 

"It's a systemic problem," said Marc Richard, an official with the union that represents professional and technical staff in Quebec's youth protection centres. "The incident in Granby was not one person or one situation, it is the system as a whole that has had problems for a long time."

When the death of the girl in Granby got widespread attention from Quebecers, the province launched a special commission on youth protection, led by Régine Laurent. It is expected to submit its report by the end of November. 

The father and stepmother charged in the girl's death both waived their right to a preliminary hearing, after a brief court appearance in Granby this past March. 

The father, a 30-year-old man, is charged with negligence causing death, child abandonment and with having failed to provide the necessaries of life. The 36-year-old stepmother is charged with second degree murder and confinement. 

The couple's identities are subject to a publication ban to protect the child's identity. 

The portions of today's report that pertain specifically to the girl in Granby will also not be made public, because of the confidential nature of the investigation.