Grandmother of Jack and Lilly Sullivan calls for public inquiry into children's disappearance

Globe and Mail

17 hours ago

The grandmother of Jack and Lilly Sullivan, two Nova Scotia children who have been missing since May, is calling for a public inquiry into their disappearance.
Belynda Gray, the children's paternal grandmother, says the child protection service needs to lift the veil of secrecy around how the provincial government responded to concerns about the home life of Jack, 4, and Lilly, 6. She also says the RCMP need to explain how they handled the early stages of their investigation.
Ms. Gray, who had limited contact with the children after their mother split up with her son, is concerned that there may have been warning signs that were overlooked before they went missing.
The Globe and Mail has previously reported that a child protection worker visited the children's home in Lansdowne, N.S., in the months before their disappearance, after concerns were raised by someone at their school, but the findings of that investigation are shielded by privacy laws.
'I think the public has a right to know,' Ms. Gray said in an interview.
'Just what did CPS do? What part were they investigating? What were their concerns and what were they doing? They might even have answers for the investigation on what happened to them or why it might've happened to them.'
The children's stepfather, Daniel Martell, told The Globe in interviews in May that the child protection worker's visit was sparked by concerns about their learning disabilities, not their well-being. Last week, The Globe published a story in which Mr. Martell said a bruise on Jack's face seen in a widely circulated photo was caused by his sister. He did not respond to questions about another photo of Jack with a black eye on a class trip dated Dec. 13, 2024, that was posted on his elementary school's Facebook page.
The children's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, split from Mr. Martell soon after the kids' disappearance and has declined to comment.
Months after Nova Scotia children vanished, a clearer picture emerges of their lives before their disappearance
The RCMP have acknowledged investigations like this take a long time and can be difficult for families seeking answers, and said they have committed significant resources to solving the case. The Mounties have consistently said they have not uncovered any evidence the children were abducted, and stand by a decision not to issue an Amber Alert when the children first went missing.
Staff Sergeant Rob McCamon from the RCMP's Major Crime and Behavioural Sciences unit said the investigation remains 'very active and intensive,' and any information that could help police is being 'meticulously scrutinized, prioritized and actioned to ensure nothing is missed.'
'We are continuing to engage every resource available to help locate Lilly and Jack and determine the circumstances of their disappearance,' he said.
Documents released to The Globe through a freedom of information request show that on May 2, the same day the children were reported missing, a manager in Nova Scotia's child protection department wrote an internal memo about the kids for senior government bureaucrats. That document was shared all the way up to the deputy minister for community services, Craig Beaton, the records show.
More than two weeks later, on May 20, the same manager produced another, longer memo about the children that was also shared with her bosses. The contents of those memos are entirely redacted for privacy reasons.
Scott Armstrong, the minister responsible for child protection in Nova Scotia, said he's reviewed the children's file, but that it would be inappropriate for the department to comment on a continuing police investigation.
'This situation continues to weigh heavily on the minds of all Nova Scotians – particularly those in Pictou County – and we are all looking forward to a resolution for this family and community,' Carley Smith, a spokesperson in his office, said in an e-mail.
Missing Nova Scotia children were assessed by child welfare agency months before disappearance
Mr. Armstrong has acknowledged there are shortcomings in Nova Scotia's child protection system. In July, he hosted a meeting of other Atlantic region ministers and addressed challenges around recruiting social workers into the child protection system, particularly in rural areas.
He also previously told The Globe he's committed to creating an office of a child and youth advocate, which would act as a watchdog on the child welfare system and be a voice for children and youth, and taking steps to reduce the workload of child welfare employees.
Ms. Smith said that 'the issue of attracting and retaining social workers is not unique to Nova Scotia,' adding the province has increased wages for child protection social workers and hired more administrative staff to ease demands on the system.
Ms. Gray, the grandmother, says political commitments for change alone are not good enough. She called for more transparency in how the child welfare system dealt with her grandkids, including what prompted someone at their school to contact child protection services in the first place.
'I'd like to know what the school has stated. Was it just some bruises they saw on Jack? Are there other things? Is there anything concerning Lilly? I would like to know,' Ms. Gray said.
Ms. Gray is among those who are frustrated it took the Mounties weeks to follow up on some tips and arrange formal interviews with people who knew the children. Jack and Lilly's maternal grandfather, Henry Brooks, said in late May the RCMP had yet to reach out to him for an interview.
Mr. Brooks says he also has questions about what was happening inside the children's home, and that his daughter had been trying to leave Mr. Martell for months before the kids disappeared. Like others, he just wants to know what happened.
'It's been eating me up. I'm wondering where the hell they are,' he said. 'I hope we get some answers soon.'