‘No one’s been held accountable’: B.C. authorities failed to protect 3 severely neglected children

CTV News gets an exclusive look at a scathing report that shows how three severely neglected children were failed by the systems meant to protect them.

Warning: This story contains a description of child neglect.

An investigation has revealed how authorities repeatedly failed to protect three severely neglected B.C. children.

According to a probe by the provincial Office of the Ombudsperson reviewed by CTV News, six documented reports were made to social services raising concerns about neglect involving the young siblings who lived in Fort St. John and the B.C. Interior.

The ministry received the first of these reports approximately “four years before it took action to ensure that the children were protected from harm,” the investigation found.

Last year, relatives described the children to CTV News as being “feral” when they were finally taken into care in December 2023.

“The conditions were horror. That’s all I can describe it as. They were living in feces, eating feces, they were (experiencing) malnutrition,” a relative said.

• Read more: ‘They were literally feral’: Demands for answers in horrific B.C. case of child neglect

Family members previously told CTV News the children had been locked in their rooms daily, were non-verbal and not potty trained.

The investigation found some reports to social services were screened out “at least partially due to communications issues.”

It appears the ministry failed repeatedly to follow its own policies, including not doing an in-person visit following reports of neglect. The report said the ministry also failed to take action because the family moved, even though the ministry received another report of concern just 12 days later.

The probe said the RCMP visited the family’s home on two occasions, including in May 2023.

“The RCMP found one of the children down the road with no clothing on,” a relative told CTV News.

But the report said social services again didn’t take action because “police attended their home and informed the ministry they had no concerns.”

The siblings were only taken into care after their own parents told social workers they could not look after the kids.

‘Breaks my heart’

According to the December 2024 report, it was then that “a ministry worker attended their home and found extensive evidence of neglect.”

“There’s been no accountability. No one’s been held accountable as far as the ministry, the RCMP, nor the parents,” said a relative in an interview with CTV News.

“I’ve asked over and over and over again who’s going to be held responsible for what happened to these kids,” said another relative, who is also now the children’s guardian.

CTV News repeatedly requested an interview with Jodie Wickens, the Minister of Children and Family Development, but was told she had no availability for four weeks.

“What happened to these children breaks my heart,” she said in a statement.

“I understand why people have questions when they hear about a situation like this. As the minister and as a mother, I am determined to do everything possible to make sure that children in this province are safe and cared for.”

She said she cannot speak to specific cases to ensure confidentiality.

Her office also would not say if any staff had been disciplined for what happened.

“These workers have some of the hardest jobs in the province, receiving child protection reports on over 55,000 children each year. There is a continuous effort to improve efficiency and get youth and their families connected to the support they need,” a ministry statement said.

The ministry said if procedures are not followed “a variety of measures can be taken, including requiring a practice change or training for staff. If any wrongdoing or negligence is identified through a review or audit, appropriate steps are taken to address this with those involved.”

MCFD conducted a special audit of provincial centralized screenings following what happened.

“Although the vast majority of screenings were assessed appropriately, an action plan resulted from the audit,” the ministry wrote.

“One of the changes implemented in the action plan is a requirement for records to be reviewed when a second report for a family is assessed as needing no further action within a 12-month period.”

“Staff in the ministry have also recently received additional training on screening child protection reports, including critical thinking and unconscious bias, and 95 per cent of staff have been trained to date and training continues,” the statement said.

CTV News also reached out to the RCMP who said there is an “ongoing” and “complex” investigation into the care of the children.

“The investigation aims to determine whether any actions or inaction related to the care of the children may meet the threshold for a criminal offense,” the RCMP stated in an email.

The RCMP also wrote that when police attended the children’s residence, “no immediate safety concerns were identified at those specific times. Police observations were documented during each attendance and shared with the appropriate partner agencies.”

Relatives of the children said years of inaction by the ministry have had profound and lifetime impacts on the children.

“The system failed not only the kids, but the family itself because had someone stepped in, and maybe said this is what has to be done, you have to be able to get counselling,” the guardian said.

“You have to get medical treatment… maybe they could have still been a family and we wouldn’t be where we are. And the kids would have got early intervention.”

“But that didn’t happen and it only got worse and worse and worse,” she said.

The guardian said there are times now when the young children find joy in simple play.

“When they are happy and feel safe and loved, it really makes all of this so worth it,” she said.

But she also said the good times are punctuated by the dark consequences of children who’ve suffered years of neglect.

“It should never have gotten to where it did. Ever,” she said.

The guardian also said she has concerns not just for these kids, but for those whose suffering may have also been ignored.

“I wonder and worry all the time how many children are locked in their bedrooms and not being checked on,” she said.