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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Claire Rattée: 12-year-old girl found alone in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside -- No one intervened, despite reports of sexual assault and drug use

Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena 

A 12-year-old girl found alone in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Reports suggest she may have already been sexually assaulted, yet somehow, she ended up on the street without support.

The group home she lives in allegedly reported they were “aware” of her location. How can the ministry justify letting a little 12 year old girl in their care wander the DTES on her own and not intervene? 

In a statement the Ministry of Children and Family Development said “When a child in care is absent from the home environment, caregivers and social workers are tasked with working in the best interest of the child, which often involves continuous risk assessment, difficult decision-making, and navigating complex factors related to the child’s life circumstances.”

Yet, no one intervened, despite reports of sexual assault and drug use.

The Downtown Eastside is ground zero for this government’s failed policies. If a child in government care can disappear into the epicenter of addiction and exploitation, it’s a clear indication the problem is getting worse and crossing into other ministries like MCFD. This is no longer just a health and social development issue, it’s a full-blown mental health and addictions crisis that is putting children directly in harm’s way.
 
Our kids deserve protection, not abandonment. 

Families deserve a system that intervenes before tragedy, not after. 

It’s time for accountability, reform, and a government willing to face the hard truth: addiction policy and child welfare policy are now inseparable, and both are failing. 


Claire Rattée is the MLA for Skeena as well as the Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. She was first elected in 2024

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