The report into their son’s death is complete – but it’s illegal for Peter Lang and Linda Tenpas to go public about anything in it, because it would violate the Child, Family and Community Service Act.
“What concerns me, that as someone who lives in B.C., their whole life, in a free and democratic society, that we have this level of secrecy,” says Peter Lang.
His son, Nick Lang, was addicted to meth and was placed with a family in Campbell River while he attended a treatment program for drug addiction that was paid for by the ministry.
Six days after entering the program, he was found dead in a closet, with a shoelace around his neck. Lang was 15 years old.
The government has since apologized for sending a letter to the Peter Lang earlier this year, where they warned him that their deceased son’s privacy rights were breached by him speaking out about the case.
But the Ministry of Children and Family Development awarded former ministry worker Stephen Howell a $9,000 contract to do an independent review to determine if policy was followed – and the family says the report needs to be made public.
“People need to know the story. This was a child that was very loved. This is not a child that was taken. We as parents reached out and asked for help and in six days I was riding in a hearse home with my son in a coffin on my birthday,” says Linda TenPas, Nick’s mother.
B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, says she’s concerned the Ministry didn’t send her a copy of the report.
She says she ended up receiving it from Lang’s father, and says it doesn’t go far enough.
“This will require a fulsome, careful and thorough investigation, with a strong lens on what the child has experienced,” said Turpel-Lafond.
“There may have been some records that have now been destroyed….It’s a substantial undertaking. It’s an important undertaking.”
Minister Stephanie Cadieux was unavailable for an interview today, but in an email a spokesperson said MCFD will fully cooperate with any process Turpel-Lafond undertakes.
“That’s exactly why a public inquiry needs to happen,” says Peter.
“We need this to get out. There’s so much the public doesn’t know about this ministry because they hide behind privacy.”
– With files from Rumina Daya
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