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Warning: This story deals with topics such as suicide and the death of children.
Santé Québec has requested an independent investigation following the deaths of three minors, over a short period of time, who were under the care of the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres.
The regional health authority asked the Bureau de l’inspectrice nationale (BIN) to look into the causes, key issues, and potential gaps in the delivery of services to youth and their families, it said in a news release published Tuesday evening.
The BIN is an office that can be tasked by Santé Québec to inspect and investigate health-care settings and businesses for issues pertaining to public health.
Two teens and a four-year-old girl died within weeks of each other in March, leading to an investigation by Quebec’s coroner’s office.
“This process aims to obtain an objective and independent perspective on the situation,” reads Santé Québec’s news release.
Both teens, a girl, 16, and a boy, 17, died by suicide, while the young girl showed signs of malnutrition and bruising when she died, according to the Montreal Gazette, who first reported on two of the deaths last week.
The 16-year-old girl, who had been in care for several years, died on March 3 at Batshaw’s Prévost campus in the Laurentians, as reported by La Presse on March 25.
The Batsahaw Youth and Family Centres fall under the jurisdiction of Santé Québec Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (formerly known as the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal).
“Throughout the process, the BIN will ensure, where necessary, that the institution puts safety nets in place for users,” said Santé Québec.
It says the BIN may issue recommendations or “trigger all other interventions deemed appropriate.”
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