Review of Alex Gervais's death tainted, family says

The family of 18-year-old Alex Decarie-Gervais,who fell or jumped from of a hotel windowSeptember 18while in government care, says an internal review into his death is tainted because the officials they blame for his death are investigating themselves.

"It's a conflict of interest," said Line Decarie, who wrote the province a letter complaining that officials at the Ministry of Children and Family Developmentshould not bereviewing their own actions.

"I think we should be looking back at the decisions of why they closed the homes ... you can't have someone investigating their own decisions, you need someone from the outside," saidDecariewho hopes theprovincialgovernment agrees to fund an independent inquiry into the deaths of several teens in care.

Decarie says, after speaking with her nephew's caregivers and friends, she is convinced the ministry made a hasty mistake when it closed Gervais's group home in July, leaving the teen without a home and placing him in a Super 8 motel in Abbotsford where he languished, living alone for nearly three months.

Family questions closure of group home

It was one of 23 homes run by A Community Vision, closed by the Director of Child Welfareafter problems were found at some of the homes, but not Gervais's.

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"I was told he was doing excellent in his group home,the structure, he was well fed, it was where he needed to be at that point ... why did they move a child who has issues ... and put them up in a hotel room?" askedDecariein an interview from Ottawa.

Ministry response

The Ministry of Children and Family Development confirmed that the director of child welfare has launched a case review into Alex Gervais's death that must be completed by May.

It did not, however, respond to concerns about conflict of interest raised by people close toGervais.

The province has said it closed all 23 group homes outof concern for the safety of the childrenand that none of the care plans included hotels.

Two former foster brothers who lived with Gervaisand two former caregivers confirm to CBC News there were no complaints atthe group homeand it was never investigated.

"We provided Alex with a structured, caring atmosphere," wrote Jordan Smit Fougerewho worked weekends at the specialized home for teens with complex issues.

"Alex would refer to me as his foster mother and I cared for him very much."

Moving Gervais to motel 'beyond inhumane'

"I know without a doubt the choice to move Alex into a hotel roomaloneled to his demise.His very life depended on consistent support, care and guidance."

"How an individual with Alex's needs ends up in a hotel room alone is beyond inhumane," said Fougere.

Stephan Fromow andDallas Ranvillelived withGervais at the same group homeand say hewas doing well before the move to a hotel.

They sayhe was a funny, social boy who hated being alone.

Days before his death, Gervais complained of not having any foodand of social workers ignoring him, in text messages to a friend.

"I tell the social workers to help me and they do nothing ....I'm not doing very good,"textedGervais, nine days before his death.

Child advocate also raises questions

"An internal review is going to be far from adequate and I want to commence that fulsome investigation immediately," said B.C. children's watchdog Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who has asked the legislative finance committee for $1.7 million to investigate Gervais's death and the deaths of three other teens in care.

Adecision is expectedin theFebruary provincial budget.

She also wants to investigate why properplacements for the teens were not in place before the group homes were closed.

"They had to close some of those and I appreciated that they needed to but what was the plan for the young people?" she said.

"I was assured that no young people be in a hotel and we need to investigate how that happened."

Grand Chief Doug Kelly of the First Nations Health Council is doubtful the province will fund an independent investigation, especially after a consultant's report released Monday recommended the province phase out the child representative's investigative powers.

"Do you see Christy Clark and Mike De Jong making more money available to the representative to carry on with the investigations into the deaths of four children? I don't think so.This is a cover-up of major proportions and the public has to speak up."

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