Records lacking for troubled boy described at Bonneau inquest

“I used every tool I had. I didn’t get a lot out of him.”

At one point during the meeting, Santo said LT claimed to have heard the voices of a man, woman and baby. After two-and-a-half hours of interviewing the boy, Santo quit.

“My stamina was fazed at that time so I just gave up,” Santo admitted.

He said LT clearly needed immediate help, but it was frustrating trying to find that help. He testified he didn’t feel LT was in danger, but he put others in danger. They looked at placing him in a foster home or a facility for troubled youth. But a facility like that doesn’t exist for children under the age of 12 Santo explained.

He testified there is a lack of recordkeeping, insisting the YTCCFS was trying very desperately to modernize its record keeping and computer systems. Santo revealed he didn’t have all the historical information on LT or the psychological assessment. He suggested there was disconnect in information sharing between him, the RCMP and the school LT went to. As testimony suggested from last week from employees with the Ministry of Social Services, again Santo admitted the size of his case load prevented him from adequately performing the duties of his job.

“Going through my notebook gives me nightmares,” he said.

Santo had been an RCMP officer prior to working for the YTCCFS and insisted policing was never as stressful because they had the proper tools and resources. He said his office could have used another two investigators.

Santo says it’s going to take a lot of money to improve the system, but it has to be fixed.

This is the second week of the inquest, which is 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.

On Monday, jurors heard from RCMP Cpl. Donna Zawislak. She testified that they had numerous entries related to LT leading up to Bonneau’s death, dating back to 2006 when LT was just three. However, since LT was under 12 at the time of the death, along with the other crimes he’s believed to be responsible for, he can’t be criminally charged for them.

Vice-principal at Chief Kahkewistahaw Community School Jean Taypotat explained how the boy’s school tried to help as well as her communication with RCMP, the Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services (YTCCFS) and other agencies involved in LT’s case.

YTCCFS’s Annie Taypotat testified on Monday that she worked very closely with LT’s family, making numerous visits to his home.

Last week testimony centred around Bonneau, including how he came to be in foster care and the details surrounding his death. A forensic pathologist testifying last week said that Lee had multiple skull fractures, likening the force of the beating to a car crash.

This story is developing…

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Kevin Martel

Records lacking for troubled boy described at Bonneau inquest

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