PUBLISHER'S NOTE: On it's face, the government news release issued earlier today (January 15, 2016) describes important steps to be taken by the independent commission, including making available assistance to families who may have been affected by the Motherisk laboratory's flawed testing methodology, providing legal, counselling and other support to individuals involved in child protection matters that may have been impacted by a flawed Motherisk test, and developing a process to identify potentially affected individuals and inform them about the findings of the Motherisk Hair Analysis review and about the resources available through the review and resource centre. The order-in-counsel also contains an important provision: that: (The Commissioner will) "offer early advice or guidance on high priority cases, including those cases identified as high priority by children's aid societies, and review individual child protection cases that may have been affected by Motherisk hair tests between 1990 and 2015, on request or on her own initiative." That said, it would appear on the face of everything that I have read, (I would love to be proven wrong) that this will not be a public inquiry. In contrast, to the Public Inquiry into many of former pathologist Charles Smith's cases (The Goudge Inquiry), Commissioner Beaman will do her work behind closed doors for the next two years, without any public examination under oath of the officials of the Hospital for Sick Children and the staff of the Motherisk lab who are responsible for this travesty which has wrongfully caused people to lose their children and sent innocent people to prison. (In spite of the lessons the hospital was supposed to have learned from the Goudge Inquiry and the whole ugly Charles Smith experience.) Of course, the privacy and confidentiality of the hospital's victims is a prerequisite - for those that choose to exercise it. (Some may well want to testify publicly about their treatment by the hospital and its staff.) But it appears as if the famed hospital is being allowed by the provincial government to slide off the hook. Hmmmm!
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
RELEASE: "Ontario has finalized the details of the independent commission
to assist families who may have been affected by the Motherisk
laboratory's flawed testing methodology. The independent commission was established in response to the Honourable Susan Lang's December 2015 report
which found that the Motherisk hair tests performed between 2005 and
2015 were inadequate and unreliable for use in child protection and
criminal proceedings. As a result, she recommended that cases involving a
Motherisk hair test warrant further review. Over the next two
years, Commissioner Judith C. Beaman will lead a review and resource
centre that will provide legal, counselling and other support to
individuals involved in child protection matters that may have been
impacted by a flawed Motherisk test. One of her first steps will
be to develop and implement a process to identify potentially affected
individuals, inform them about the findings of the Motherisk Hair
Analysis review and about the resources available through the review and
resource centre. Anyone who believes that they may have been impacted by a Motherisk test can call 1-855-235-8932. The commission's mandate and resources have been set out in an Order in Council."
http://www.news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2016/01/ontario-launches-commission-to-support-people-impacted-by-motherisk-tests.htmlPUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
