Post by litigator on Aug 28, 2007 9:40:00 GMT -5
Toronto Children's Aid Society misleads court
(August 27, 2007) Court Watch has reviewed video tapes and notes from the Toronto CAS which reveal that a CAS worker omitted very significant portions of evidence from transcripts of a videotape which would appear intended to mislead the court in a child protection matter. The evidence which was removed by the CAS worker appears to help protect the credibility a grandmother who was making false allegations of sexual abuse by removing testimony from a child in which the child told police that the grandmother had lied to police during the police investigation. Evidence that the grandmother had lied to police was removed by the CAS worker in the transcripts.
Although CAS workers had a copy of the videotape in their files for over a year, CAS workers refused to provide a copy of the videotape of the child's testimony to the father who was the subject of the false allegations. The only reason why an agency would refuse to provide fair disclosure of evidence would be to prevent the other side from being able to properly examine it. Thousands of taxpayer's dollars were wasted to keep the father from having a copy of the videotape. According to the father, both Justice Zuker and Justice Brownstone obstructed Justice by refusing to allow the father to examine the contents of the videotape. Once a copy of the videotape was obtained however, it was revealed that the child indicated that she had been forced to attend the interview against her wishes and also that police lied to the child during the interview in addition to providing leading questions during the interview itself. Not only was the videotaped interview significantly flawed but when CAS made a transcript of the tape, removed the portion where the child said that her grandmother (the person who made the original allegations) was lying to police.
It would appear that the manipulation of the evidence by the CAS worker was intended to protect grandmother (who the CAS was supporting) and to remove any information which would help defend an innocent father from child abuse allegations by the maternal grandmother. In essence, the CAS worker manipulated the evidence in an attempt to obstruct justice which is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada. Many children and parents have complained about how CAS workers manipulate evidence, not to see justice served, but to get the results that biased CAS workers want. Lying and manipulating evidence to the court has become one of the main complaints against CAS workers. Its seems in this case as well, that Justice Zuker and Justice Brownstone supported the CAS in their witch hunt without question.
This situation involving the Toronto CAS seems very familiar to the recent situation in which the Province of Nova Scotia seized control of a CAS agency in that province after a court had found that workers had provided misinformation to the court. Maybe it is about time for the Province of Ontario to get the Ombudsman involved as it is clear that the public is not being protected from abuse by CAS workers.
This example of blatant obstruction of Justice by a female Toronto CAS worker in which the CAS was trying to label a father as a child abuser, again supports the position by many parents and children in the community that CAS workers are biased against fathers and to help stop this abuse of power and authority, CAS workers MUST videotape or audiotape ALL interviews with children in which evidence is being gathered in a child abuse investigation, especially sexual abuse allegations. CAS workers generally oppose the use of video or audio tapes with many parents being threatened with having their children taken from them should they attempt to record workers. As most members of the public would agree, only those with something to hide are fearful of audio or video recording equipment.
(August 27, 2007) Court Watch has reviewed video tapes and notes from the Toronto CAS which reveal that a CAS worker omitted very significant portions of evidence from transcripts of a videotape which would appear intended to mislead the court in a child protection matter. The evidence which was removed by the CAS worker appears to help protect the credibility a grandmother who was making false allegations of sexual abuse by removing testimony from a child in which the child told police that the grandmother had lied to police during the police investigation. Evidence that the grandmother had lied to police was removed by the CAS worker in the transcripts.
Although CAS workers had a copy of the videotape in their files for over a year, CAS workers refused to provide a copy of the videotape of the child's testimony to the father who was the subject of the false allegations. The only reason why an agency would refuse to provide fair disclosure of evidence would be to prevent the other side from being able to properly examine it. Thousands of taxpayer's dollars were wasted to keep the father from having a copy of the videotape. According to the father, both Justice Zuker and Justice Brownstone obstructed Justice by refusing to allow the father to examine the contents of the videotape. Once a copy of the videotape was obtained however, it was revealed that the child indicated that she had been forced to attend the interview against her wishes and also that police lied to the child during the interview in addition to providing leading questions during the interview itself. Not only was the videotaped interview significantly flawed but when CAS made a transcript of the tape, removed the portion where the child said that her grandmother (the person who made the original allegations) was lying to police.
It would appear that the manipulation of the evidence by the CAS worker was intended to protect grandmother (who the CAS was supporting) and to remove any information which would help defend an innocent father from child abuse allegations by the maternal grandmother. In essence, the CAS worker manipulated the evidence in an attempt to obstruct justice which is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada. Many children and parents have complained about how CAS workers manipulate evidence, not to see justice served, but to get the results that biased CAS workers want. Lying and manipulating evidence to the court has become one of the main complaints against CAS workers. Its seems in this case as well, that Justice Zuker and Justice Brownstone supported the CAS in their witch hunt without question.
This situation involving the Toronto CAS seems very familiar to the recent situation in which the Province of Nova Scotia seized control of a CAS agency in that province after a court had found that workers had provided misinformation to the court. Maybe it is about time for the Province of Ontario to get the Ombudsman involved as it is clear that the public is not being protected from abuse by CAS workers.
This example of blatant obstruction of Justice by a female Toronto CAS worker in which the CAS was trying to label a father as a child abuser, again supports the position by many parents and children in the community that CAS workers are biased against fathers and to help stop this abuse of power and authority, CAS workers MUST videotape or audiotape ALL interviews with children in which evidence is being gathered in a child abuse investigation, especially sexual abuse allegations. CAS workers generally oppose the use of video or audio tapes with many parents being threatened with having their children taken from them should they attempt to record workers. As most members of the public would agree, only those with something to hide are fearful of audio or video recording equipment.