The BC Ministry of Children and Family Development knowingly left four children in the hands of their abusive father according to The Vancouver Sun.

Acting on an unnamed tip, social workers deemed the children’s mother mentally ill and removed them from her care. Despite abuse allegations and a Supreme Court order, the ministry gave their father unsupervised access to his children. He sexually and physically abused them for nearly three years before the ministry realized they were aiding an abusive father.

The BC Supreme Court Judge issued a blistering decision in finding the Ministry liable for misfeasance, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. The article in the Vancouver Sun noted:

“Their conduct was manipulative and malicious, the justice said, and they “lost sight of their duties, professionalism and their objectivity.”

“In conclusion, I wish to add that (the mother) assumed and carried out the director’s statutory mandate to protect her children,” he said at the end of the 125,000-word excoriation.”

“If it were not for the herculean efforts of (the mother), the children would now, through the fault of the director (of child, family and community services), be in the custody of their father who sexually and physically abused them.”

The judge stated:

“I have determined that the director and certain ministry social workers acted well outside of their statutory mandate and the duty to protect children,” he wrote.

He ordered the ministry to pay for all damages suffered indicating ministry workers are not protected by immunity. Additionally, the province must pay special costs due to its egregious conduct.

For more information

• Ian Mulgrew: Children’s ministry sided with sexually abusive father, court finds, The Vancouver Sun
• Ministry abused authority in case of BC father sexually abusing his children: judge, CBC