Katelynn was failed by CAS

In the months before she was murdered by her guardians, little Katelynn Angel Sampson came to the attention of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto no less than six times.

One was a referral from its sister agency, the Catholic CAS, which had received a disturbing phone call from a Parkdale neighbour concerned about Katelynn living with guardian Donna Irving, who was doing crack and partner, Warren Johnson, who was a violent drug user. The CAS CEO admitted for the first time at an inquest Tuesday that the alert got misplaced and no one acted on it.

In April 2008, two months later, Irving herself called the CAS and said she and Johnson couldn’t care for Katelynn anymore. That call was passed on to the Native Child and Family Services — a referral which the agency insists it never received.

Four months later, Katelynn was dead, failed by the very child welfare authorities responsible for her protection.  (more...)

Katelynn was failed by CAS