Quebec daycare safety review launched after sex crime case

Quebec Family Minister Francine Charbonneauhas ordereda review of safety rules for all daycaresaftera CBCRadio-Canada investigation of a West Island daycarewhere a four-year-old girl wasthe victim of a sex crime.

Charbonneauon Tuesday also orderedan internal investigation of thePierrefondsdaycare.

She called the story "nightmarish,"and said she has asked the local co-ordinating office responsible for the daycare to shut it down temporarily as it conducts theinternal investigation.

Danny Carroll and Jennifer van Rantwyktold Radio-Canada the storyof how their four-year-old daughter was victimizedlast October while at the daycare.

A 13-year-old visitor to the daycare eventually pleaded guiltyto gross indecency charges related to theincidentin the basement of the daycare. The daycare operator was upstairs preparing a meal at the time.

'Nightmarish' sex crime at daycare

9 years ago

Duration 2:36

4-year-old victimized by teen visitor in Quebec daycare

The couple complained to the local co-ordinating office, which eventually concluded the daycare operator was negligent.

But the daycare was allowed to remain open. As well, theparents of other children at the daycare were not told about the incident.

Charbonneau said in the National Assembly that she found the report "extremely troubling."

"I have asked theministry to launch an internal investigation to review the entire process, starting with the parents'complaint," Charbonneau said.

She said it's also time to review safety rules for all daycares in the province.

"We have to review all of our rules to reassure ourselves that every day there is no parent who is worried about leaving their child at a daycare."

Jennifer van Rantwyk said in an interview with CBC News Thursday that she was pleased the minister seemed to be taking her complaint seriously.

"To finally get some response, and some semblance of severity, I was very happy," van Rantwyk said.

But she said it shouldn't have taken this long.

"The system failed us. Failed my daughter. To now come out and say 'we are apalled and we are troubled' it is what it is. Idon't know why it had to take seven months to come to that decision, but they did come to what I think is a fair decision."