Laval youth centre followed proper procedure, Quebec says

Quebec's minister foryouth protection says the Laval youth home that's seen a stream ofrunaways in recent weeks has her completeconfidence.

Lucie Charlebois saysan independent auditor found that the CentreJeunesse Laval followed all the procedureswhen dealing with theteenage girls who fled the group home.

ButCharlebois says the province mustdo more to address the problem of teen runaways.

"For us, it's a priority to address runaways," Charlebois, accompanied byPublic Security Minister Martin Coiteux, told a news conference Tuesday in Quebec City.

"We can be better."

Coiteuxadded thatthe "problem doesn't only exist in Laval or in youth centres."

• Laval runaways spur new funding to fight sexual exploitation of minors
• Teenage girls in care targets of street gangs, prostitution rings

The 40-page report, prepared by independent social services consultant Andr Lebon, details the factors that contribute to teen runaways across the province and stresses the problem isn't limited to the Centre de Jeunesse Laval.

Charlebois and Coiteux pointed to new funding announced last month aimed at addressing the issue. Prvention Jeunessewill be set up in five areas around the province at a cost of$3 million over the next five years.

In the case of Laval, the focus will be on sexual exploitation.

Parent 'disappointed and angered'

The province sent an auditor to the Laval group home after several teenage girls went missing earlier this year. All the girls have since been found.

Police saythe girlsmayhave been targeted for sexual exploitation.Parents hadexpressed hope the province's report would help address the problem.

But one parent said the findings of today's report only left him upset.

"I was very, very disappointed and angered. We're talking about our children today," said Eric Hauptman, the father of one of the runaways. "In my opinion, it was a political show that report.There's nothing that's concrete that happens as of today.... It's all, 'We're going to have reflections.'"

ThePartiQubcoishas criticized the government's response.

MNA Jean-Franois Lise said it took a "major crisis" for Premier Philippe Couillard's government to take a "minor step" to address the problem of sexual exploitation of teenage girls.

In particular,Lisesaid, more needs to be doneto preventstreet gangs and pimps from using social media to lureteenage girls into prostitution.