REGINA – Understaffed, underfunded, and under qualified. Those were the repeated concerns heard at the inquest into the death of Lee Bonneau, about the agency providing child welfare to the boy responsible for the six-year-old’s death.
On Thursday, court heard testimony from Brenda Obey, the program manager at the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC), who had oversight into matters regarding the 10-year-old boy, referenced as ‘LT.’
Obey told the court her desk and staff were overloaded with cases at the time, a sentiment echoed by other YTC witnesses throughout the inquest.
She said that she wasn’t aware about LT’s history before the death of Bonneau, such as the complaints from the school about the child’s inappropriate sexual behavior or about a break and enter where a dog was killed.
Obey said that if she knew the information she has now, the agency would have provided a different plan for the boy and his family and likely would have apprehended him.
She described the risk assessment made about the boy in 2012 as insufficient.
“It’s not acceptable,” Obey said. “It does not address the immediate threats.”
She told the court it wasn’t until after Bonneau’s death that she received all files on LT and those were received through a court order.
Obey also updated the court on how LT is doing now.
“He’s under a comprehensive treatment plan and responding well,” she said.
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Agency changes
Court also heard Thursday from the head of the YTC, Raymond Shingoose, who said Bonneau’s death acted as a wakeup call.
He said the agency has made changes since the incident including, improvements to its database, methods to ensure child welfare, and its relationship with the Ministry of Social Services.
However, Shingoose said there are still areas the agency needs to improve, like access to a child psychiatrist, staff training and aligning its policies with the province.
Last to testify was a critical incident analyst with the ministry who reviewed the incident in 2013 and offered the YTC 13 recommendations.
Those recommendations can be considered by the jury members when they deliberate and offer their recommendations in hopes of preventing a similar tragedy in the future.
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