Why was Jamie Charlie left with his sister's killer?
Iinvestigator's report: Tot stayed with violent uncle
Michael Smyth, The Province
Published: Friday, October 20, 2006

For five months after his younger sister was viciously battered to death, three-year-old Jamie Charlie had to live under the same roof with the violent foster father who killed the little girl.

Even worse, Jamie was forced to live with the falsehood that he had killed his own baby sister. The three-year-old underwent psychological counselling to probe and analyze the despicable lie that he had pushed 11-month-old Sherry down the stairs in a fight.

Foster father Ryan George, who was given custody of the siblings despite his long and violent criminal record, punched and kicked Sherry to death in September 2002. George told investigators that Jamie was responsible.

But it was a desperate story that had no chance of holding up. Within days of Sherry's brutal death, a preliminary pathologist's report revealed massive trauma to Sherry's head, ribs and abdomen.

This was a child who had been abused and beaten. Her appalling injuries could not have been sustained in a fall as George had claimed.

The RCMP were called and the Ministry of Children and Families was informed.

But even prior to the damning pathologist's report, the government had finally become aware of George's extensive criminal record, which included convictions for domestic assault, violent robbery and arson.

How was this man given custody of foster children to begin with? The government blames a tragic communications breakdown: A criminal-record check wasn't completed and the ministry failed to tell social workers about its extensive previous contacts with the troubled George household.

But once Sherry was dead, how on earth could the government have allowed Jamie to remain with George for another five months?

Despite the by-then-obvious danger to the boy, child-welfare authorities told a judge that Sherry had "passed away" in a "tragic accident" and that Jamie should remain in the home.

British Columbians may finally get answers today to some of these disturbing questions.

The government is set to release an investigator's report into why Jamie Charlie was left in the home of Ryan George, who is now serving 10 years in jail for manslaughter.

It's been a long time coming for the children's relatives.

"How could these decisions have been made?" Lex Reynolds, the lawyer for the children's grandparents, asked yesterday.

"Who made these decisions? What information did they have when they made them?"

The government has been sitting on the Jamie Charlie report for three weeks, indicating some nervousness about its contents.

And I find it no coincidence at all that the report is being released on a Friday, the traditional day for governments to dump out bad news.

Reynolds told me yesterday the family is anxious for answers -- and angry that the government did not afford them an early look at the report.

"They would have appreciated the courtesy of knowing in advance what's in it," he said. "But the government hasn't been very co-operative with us all the way through."

Jamie is now in the custody of his extended family members, Reynolds told me. He declined to discuss the little boy's current condition.

But one thing is for sure. The family will take keen interest in the contents of today's report. Several parties, I understand, are considering negligence lawsuits in this truly heartbreaking case.