Robert-Baldwin MNA demands an investigation of DPJ cases

By Chelsey St-Pierre

Concerned by recent disturbing revelations about mothers who are victims of conjugal violence and who have lost custody of their children amid accusations of parental alienation, Brigitte Garceau, Liberal MNA for Robert-Baldwin and official opposition spokesperson for youth protection, presented a motion to the National Assembly, calling for an investigation into these cases. The motion was supported by the entire opposition including the Liberals, QS, the PQ and the independent MNA for Vaudreuil.

Garceau demanded that Lionel Carmant, the Minister responsible for Social Services, launch an investigation into reported cases where children were entrusted to violent fathers under the pretext that the mothers were initiating parental alienation, a concept poorly understood by stakeholders of the Director of Youth Protection (DPJ), due to lack of adequate training.

Studies have shown that a child’s risk of abuse increases after a perpetrator of intimate partner violence separates from a domestic partner, even when the perpetrator has not previously directly abused the child.

Garceau says that Minister Carmant’s inaction on ensuring adequate training on conjugal violence for those employed by the DPJ system, is causing disastrous situations for too many mothers who are victims of conjugal violence.

“Mothers are completely broken and torn by the current situation. The lack of training of DPJ workers on conjugal violence, which includes parental alienation and coercive control, is one of the significant problems at the heart of the issues. Despite this, Minister Carmant still refuses to impose a mandatory four-day training, which would allow them to better understand the issue and to make proper evaluations where conjugal violence is at play,” Garceau stated. n

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