VANCOUVER – Six of 11 children born to an abusive couple have been awarded close to $ 1 million over the failure of the B.C. government to protect them from their parents.
The children, only identified by their initials, claimed in a B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit that they were subjected to inadequate housing and medical attention, lack of food and violence by the parents.
The Ministry of Children and Families permanently seized the children in 1999, but the children say they still endured years of abuse while in their parents’ care.
The government claimed the evidence didn’t establish that the children were exposed to the abuse they claimed.
However, Justice Barbara Fisher found the children endured serious neglect stemming from their parents’ lifestyle of abusing alcohol, drugs and their apparent lack of capacity to parent.
The court has awarded the children a total of $ 988,000 in damages for cost of future care, loss of future earning capacity and psychological treatment.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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