Agency missed chances to help Katelynn Sampson but not to blame for death: director

The head of a child welfare agency that looked into the case of a seven-year-old Toronto girl said Wednesday that opportunities to help the child were missed but denied his staff's behaviour led to her death.

Head of aboriginal child welfare agency admits 'confusion' over 7-year-old girl's file

The Canadian Press Posted: Nov 25, 2015 8:41 AM EST | Last Updated: November 26, 2015

The inquest into the death of seven-year-old Katelynn Sampson, heard from the girl's former teacher Cathy Seto Friday.

Kenneth Richard, the executive director of Native Child andFamily Services, told a coroner's inquest there was "confusion"over Katelynn Sampson's file and much of the arrangementssurrounding her care were made in secrecy.

The girl's legal guardians, Donna Irving and Warren Johnson,weren't "particularly forthcoming" and there was no opportunity totalk to Katelynn herself, he testified.

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By the time case workers realized Katelynn was living with thepair full time, she had already been with them for months, and"there were no protection concerns evident to us," he said.

"We were very busy...around this family but Katelynn seemed tohave been missed," Richard said. "There were opportunities tointervene that didn't end up in intervention."

But he maintained he couldn't find "any direct line" betweenhow his staff acted and "the unfortunate tragic events thatfollowed" on Aug. 3, 2008, when Katelynn was found dead in herguardians' apartment.

The lawyer representing Sampson, however, argued the agencysimply didn't take the time to look beyond the information providedby Irving and Johnson, despite receiving several referrals about thechild.

Nor did it bother speaking with the girl's mother, even afterIrving called the agency asking to have Katelynn removed from herhome, Suzan Fraser said. By the time a case worker returned thatcall 16 days later, Irving claimed to be receiving help fromKatelynn's school, which was not true.

'Opportunities squandered'

"Those opportunities were squandered because you failed to speakwith Katelynn Sampson," Fraser said.

An autopsy showed Katelynn died from septic shock after beingbeaten for months. Irving and Johnson pleaded guilty three years agoto second-degree murder and were sentenced to life in prison with nochance of parole for 15 years.

Both the Children's Aid Society and Native Child and FamilyServices were contacted about Katelynn or the couple while she wasliving with them. Oversight was transferred to the latter agencybecause of Irving's aboriginal heritage.

Communication between the agencies -- as well as their othersister agencies -- has been a focus of the inquest.

Bernice Sampson was addicted to crack and gave her daughter toIrving and Johnson after realizing she was no longer able to carefor the child herself.

The pair was granted legal custody despite having severalcriminal convictions and long-standing involvement with child

welfare agencies.

Both Sampson and Irving had several children taken away by childwelfare authorities.

Custody arrangements between the two women appeared to confusemany involved in Katelynn's life. The inquest has heard schoolofficials called the Children's Aid Society to seek clarification,but the agency didn't investigate the terms or circumstances of thedeal.

Agency believed Irving was babysitting Katelynn

Neither did Native Child and Family Services, which initiallybelieved Irving was simply babysitting Katelynn, Richard said.

"We had been working with Donna Irving and Warren Johnson andtheir two children, that was our family," he said. "By the time werealized Katelynn was in that home, it was quite late."

And even then, it remained unclear why Sampson had turned overcustody of her child, he said.

Still, the agency did not consider reaching out to Sampsonbecause it did not believe she was involved in Katelynn's life, hesaid.

In hindsight, Richard agreed it would have been helpful to knowhow she came to live with her guardians, he said.

"The more information, the better the decision," he said.

The inquest previously heard Johnson was listed in his sister'sCAS file with allegations that he had sexually abused his nieces.

Though the agency believed the allegations involving one niece weresubstantiated, no criminal charges were ever laid.

former intake worker with the Children's Aid Society of Torontoalso testified he had expressed concerns about Irving and Johnson ina report before turning over the case to Native Child and FamilyServices.

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Agency missed chances to help Katelynn Sampson but not to blame for death: director

Head of aboriginal child welfare agency admits 'confusion' over 7-year-old girl's file

'Opportunities squandered'

Agency believed Irving was babysitting Katelynn

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