The tragic and senseless beating death of a six-year-old boy on the Kahkewistahaw First Nation nearly two years ago has resulted in some positive changes to the child welfare system in Saskatchewan, according to the provincial government.
Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer today outlined further steps to improve the system and to protect the province’s most vulnerable families and children.
Six-year-old Lee Bonneau was beaten to death by a 10-year-old boy on the reserve in August of 2013. Both children were under the care of Social Services at the time. The death was the subject of a special report by the province’s Advocate for Children and Youth last year and a coroner’s inquest held last month.
There were numerous recommendations aimed at early intervention, better information-sharing between government ministries and more staffing. Harpauer says her ministry is working closely with Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services to improve service both on an off reserves.
“They have participated extremely well and we are helping them with training their employees. They have now incorporated an electronic or computer system to track their files better. The Yorkton Tribal Council has been working very hard on making improvements.”
The province’s Advocate for Children and Youth, Bob Pringle, issued a 42-page report into Bonneau’s death. His report contained 18 recommendations. Harpauer says most of them have already been implemented.
“Correct. There will be a continuous improvement in child and family services, as there should be. We should always be looking at how we can improve. There has been progress with the report, the investigation by the children’s advocate as well as the internal investigation we do within the ministry itself.”
The 10-year-old boy involved in the beating death of Bonneau is still under the care of Social Services, receiving what has been described as “intensive treatment”.
Because of his age, he can not be held criminally responsible for his actions. Harpauer says the case demonstrated a need for the ministries of Social Services, Education, Corrections and Health to work together more closely to deal with such cases.