FASD not behind violent behaviour, doctor testifies at Bonneau inquest

The family came to the attention of the Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services’ (YTCCFS). The YTCCFS’ Betty Watson was a child protection project manager at the time Lee died.

Watson was calm through most of her testimony in the court room on Wednesday morning, but then succumbed to emotion, letting out a brief whelp, her head sinking to near her knees.

She spoke about a number of intake reports that came into their office regarding the troubled boy. The reports ranged from parental neglect and addiction to alcohol issues, sexual touching of himself and other students at school and animal cruelty. It’s suspected when LT was eight he and another boy broke into a home, beat a pregnant dog and her two unborn pups to death, and dragged it around the house before throwing rocks at it outside.

Watson explained how the investigation into several of those cases was started months late, and were either not completed on time, or not finished at all.

“The paperwork wasn’t completed,” she admitted on several investigations.

On the dog-killing incident, no investigation or risk assessment into LT was ever done. The matter was referred over to the RCMP.

When asked by coroner’s counsel Sonya Guiboche if she thought LT needed protection after that point Watson said, “Yes.”

In his own report, Saskatchewan’s Children’s Advocate Bob Pringle had previously criticized the casework regarding LT and called the services provided to him unacceptable. Testimony on Wednesday supported that conclusion.

Watson insisted several times that her office had too many cases at any one time, explaining it was “difficult” to look after and provide services for 16 First Nations with the amount of files coming in. She estimated they deal with 237 intake reports a year. Later in her testimony she guessed 337 intakes a year.

When asked the things can be improved Watson finally broke down. She said the funding arrangement is not comparable to the Ministry of Social Services, adding the YTCCFS is short-staffed.

“That impacts our ability to provide service and oversight,” she sniffled.

She said the First Nation doesn’t have direct access to psychologists and psychiatrists who could have potentially helped LT immediately.

The inquest, which is being held in Regina at the Court of Queen’s Bench, is scheduled to wrap up on Friday after two weeks of testimony. The inquest is intended to search out facts and use those facts to develop a series of recommendations so a tragedy like this can be avoided in the future. The jury at the inquest is not to find fault or blame.

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Kevin Martel

FASD not behind violent behaviour, doctor testifies at Bonneau inquest

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