CASs lacking risk reduction plans in review of domestic violence deaths.

Toronto -- Children's Aid Societies are leaving women and children in danger by their failure to properly assess violent spouses and by their lack of support for safety and risk reduction plans says a recent report issued by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee to the Ontario Chief Coroner.

The Committee, headed by Al J.C., O'Marra, Chief Counsel of the Ontario Chief Coroner's office, had no representation of the province's CAS. The 12 member committee had a number of police and justice officials, and regional coroners with social service connections who had knowledge of shelters for women and children and advocacy groups.

In its 2004 annual report, the DVDRC reviewed nine occurrences of domestic violence resulting in 11 deaths of women and/or their children in 2004. Most of these deaths, the report says, were both preventable and predictable when risk factors were analyzed. In the majority of cases, ten or more risk factors indicating potentially lethal violence were present prior to the homicides.

In most cases, the committee reports, CASS focused on the care of the children rather than on the danger the abuser continued to present. This was further exacerbated because:

* no systematic approaches to risk assessment and reduction existed, and

* violations of court orders were ignored or seen as a low priority.

The report also points out that CAS workers

* fail to co-ordinate their efforts with other professionals, such as the police and courts, and

* tend to be skeptical when facing victims of domestic abuse, particularly when litigation is involved.

Describing their skepticism as "counter-intuitive" for domestic violence victims, the report notes GAS demonstrates skepticism in such instances due to concerns it is "being drawn into a private family law dispute with allegations being made by the separating parents."

But the DVDR Committee, says because criminal and family court proceedings often take months or even years to resolve issues, children and predominantly, their mothers, may need an immediate safety plan that either suspends contact with the abuser, or requires supervised visits with the children, or supervised interaction between the parents.

In the reviewed cases, access was offered to the abusive spouse

* where there should have been none, or

* where there should have been at least strictly supervised visits. The report points out that t was often unclear if CAS should intervene or leave the matters to private child custody hearings.

In most cases, CAS focused on the care of the children rather than on the danger the abuser continued to present. This was further exacerbated because no systematic approaches to risk assessment and reduction existed and violations of courts orders were ignored or seen as a low priority.

Among the recommendations of the committee are these:

* CAS and other welfare agencies screen for domestic violence in all cases, including locating, interviewing, and assessing all partners involved.

* CAS use its authority to intervene to protect the mother and child, where there is evidence of domestic violence.

* A discussion paper and inter-ministerial guidelines should be prepared for all cases of domestic violence to encourage co-ordination between the courts and between court-related services.

* appropriate and immediate response by agencies should be made when a high risk case has been identified.

* greater funding should be provided to develop more domestic violence services in rural and northern areas and more resources be allocated for better training.