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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Survivor of institutional abuse Marie Slark led successful fight for compensation
Marie Slark was released from the Huronia Regional Centre in 1970 to live in a foster home managed by the institution. Nine years earlier, as a slight seven-year-old, she had been rejected by her dysfunctional parents and placed by Children's Aid in the sprawling complex built in Central Ontario to house children with intellectual disabilities. Life at the Huronia Centre was horrific, say survivors who recount endless days of neglect and abuse. Marie thought the foster home offered her a first chance to live in a place of love and care. Instead, she was beaten with a wire and forced to do all the household chores including caring for younger children. Her foster father abused her physically and sexually, Ms. Slark told a researcher at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2019. 'Because I didn't take care of the baby properly, he beat me until I was black and blue. I remember one time, they made me stay in the basement and wouldn't let me go to the bathroom. They were hoping I would wet my pants so I would find out what the baby felt.' Throughout her time in the foster home, Ms. Slark was in regular contact with Marilyn Dolmage, a Huronia Regional Centre employee who negotiated the placement and was acting as her social worker. But the lonely 16-year-old girl made no mention in those conversations of the abuses she was suffering. It was 30 years before Ms. Slark confided to Ms. Dolmage, who remained a lifelong friend, about the violence she experienced in foster care. She had kept it a secret because, no matter how bad life was with her foster family, it was better than living at the institution. Marie Slark died of cancer on May 21 at the age of 71. She and her former classmate Patricia Seth were the lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Ontario government, which ran the Huronia Centre for 133 years until it closed in 2009. That suit made clear the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma experienced by residents. It exposed the mistreatment and neglect of thousands of vulnerable children diagnosed with intellectual challenges, and set the template for lawsuits by survivors of other similar institutions across Canada. 'I can't stress enough how important Marie is as a figure within the disability community,' says Kate Rossiter, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University who is the principal investigator on a project called Recounting Huronia which preserves the stories of survivors. 'The work that she and Pat did around the class-action lawsuit was heroic.' The $2-billion suit, in which Ms. Slark and Ms. Seth were supported by Ms. Dolmage and her husband, Jim Dolmage, was settled out of court in 2013 for $35-million, nearly $12-million of which went to lawyers and the provincial law society. Many survivors received just $2,000 in compensation for their years of suffering. But Ms. Slark's willingness to tell her story forced a national conversation about the dehumanizing practice of institutionalizing vulnerable disabled children. 'I call her a soldier,' says Barri Cohen, the writer, director, and producer of Unloved: Huronia's Forgotten Children, an emotionally devastating documentary about Ms. Cohen's search for her own brothers who were housed at the institution and died there. 'Marie was invincible in the way she powered through,' she says. 'She got up again. She was determined.' Ms. Dolmage says she never stopped apologizing to Ms. Slark for placing her in an abusive foster home. 'And she always said, 'but I didn't want you to know, because you would have sent me back [to the Huronia Centre].' For me, that was the impetus for the class action – to realize that being in those buildings was so much worse than being harmed in all those ways in the community was just appalling.' Marie Slark was born into a large Toronto family on Jan. 31, 1954. Her mother, Irene O'Reilly, had spent seven years of her own childhood in an orphanage. Marie's father, Douglas Slark, was an immigrant from Great Britain who was diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses. The family lived in a small apartment above a downtown store where the children were kept in darkened rooms. When found by aid workers, they were severely malnourished and at least one child had serious injuries. At the age of seven, Ms. Slark had never attended school and could not explain what India was when questioned by mental health experts. As a result, they deemed her intellectually disabled and sent her, along with a sister and a brother, to the Huronia Centre. After the class-action suit was settled, her school file was obtained by Dr. Rossiter's research team. It says: 'Because of the difficulties she represents, the parents are not wanting her home. One definitely would not consider sending Marie back to her mother who was very rejecting.' Ms. Dolmage says it was a common practice for Children's Aid workers to 'dump' children with diagnosed disabilities – both mental and physical – at institutions like the Huronia Centre. Girls like Marie Slark were not offered for adoption, they were simply locked away. 'When children, even very capable children like Marie, went [to Huronia], they were expected to die there,' Ms. Dolmage says. 'The staff took them for walks to the cemetery [on the centre grounds] and said: 'This is where you're going to end up.'' Children confined to the school were housed according to their age, sex, and intellectual capabilities. Those with more severe disabilities were placed in cages and ignored. Some of those who acted out were punished with ice baths. Others were held in straightjackets or forced to push cement blocks up and down hallways for days. When Ms. Slark was disobedient at the age of 11, she was put on strong antipsychotic medication that made her sleep all day. 'It was run like the military,' Ms. Seth says. 'We were hit with the fly swatter. We were hit with a baseball bat. Sometimes, we were dragged by the hair.' When Ms. Slark took more cookies than she was allowed, she was made to clean the floor with a toothbrush. 'When you dehumanize people, when you dehumanize children especially, all bets are off,' Ms. Cohen says. 'You think you can do anything to them because you don't believe they're fully human. … And, with poorly trained staff, it's a recipe for sadism, which is what we call it in the film.' Ms. Slark took some refuge in textile crafts and learned how to knit using straightened bobby pins. She once knitted a whole sweater, only to have a teacher force her to unravel it. The institution eventually put her to work sewing straightjackets to be used on other children. 'We grew up together in that awful place,' Ms. Seth says. 'I call it jail. Everybody else calls it a school. To me, it wasn't a school. Maybe I should say reform school, but I don't even know if it was that good.' Although the people who assessed Ms. Slark as a seven-year-old said they doubted she would ever lead an independent life, she completed her high-school equivalency at Georgian College, got her driver's licence, and worked at many jobs over her lifetime – in restaurants, in a bakery factory, in a factory that made cake tins, and at retail stores including Winners. She was always looking for people who she could call family, Ms. Dolmage says. Perhaps for that reason, Ms. Slark reconnected with her mother when she was an adult and nursed her through the final stages of cancer. After her mother died, Ms. Slark worked as a live-in domestic for a family in Vancouver and then Oregon without receiving a dollar in wages. 'I said to her so many times, 'you're being abused, get out of there. If you can get to Toronto, you can stay with us, and we'll help you get sorted out,'' Ms. Dolmage says. 'It finally got to the point where it was so bad, she agreed to that.' When Ms. Slark arrived back in Ontario, she reconnected with Ms. Seth. During a visit to the Dolmages' home, the two women opened up about the abuses they had endured at the institution. Ms. Dolmage knew of other survivors with similar stories, and that is how the class-action came about. Although there was not much in the way of compensation, the terms of the settlement allowed people to tour the nearly empty Huronia Centre and the grounds, where at least 1,379 former inmates are buried. It was on one of those tours that Ms. Cohen met Ms. Slark who agreed that Ms. Cohen could follow her around with a camera. The two became good friends. 'One of the lessons I've learned from Marie, apart from patience, is the value of not giving up and being determined. But she also taught me that we need to support and walk alongside our activists, because we may find them in the quietest of places,' Ms. Cohen says. 'She was a brilliant knitter. She was a textile artist, and I think that's what saved her. She was extremely inventive that way. Her apartment was filled with balls of beautiful wool. I think wool was her talisman of creativity and safety.' Ms. Slark and Ms. Seth also bonded with other survivors through the Remember Every Name project, which aims to honour all of those who are buried in the unmarked graves on the Huronia Centre grounds. And Ms. Slark connected with a woman named Antoinette Charlebois, a former resident who was several years older. The two called each other sisters and lived together until Ms. Charlebois died a couple years ago. The settlement denied Ms. Slark the chance to tell her story in court. But she took part in a speaking tour organized by Dr. Rossiter through which she enlightened audiences across the country about the suffering to which she and thousands of other children were subjected. 'Marie was brave in a way that always felt both tenacious and quite selfless,' Dr. Rossiter says. 'I think it's really important to understand what her work opened, and what kind of legacy she leaves.' You can find more obituaries from The Globe and Mail here. To submit a memory about someone we have recently profiled on the Obituaries page, e-mail us at obit@
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
ACT cop accused of horrific comments to 17-year-old at watch house
WARNING: This story includes references to Indigenous death and self-harm. Shocking comments from an ACT watch house officer to a 17-year-old boy have sparked outrage around the country. The incident allegedly took place after the Indigenous boy was arrested last year. Footage played during a recent ACT Supreme Court hearing showed the officer asking the boy whether he was thinking of taking his own life, then goading him after he gave an answer. The officer allegedly asked 'Are you thinking of necking yourself?'. When the boy replied that he was not, the officer allegedly said 'You wouldn't have the guts to do it anyway.' Several officers standing behind the teenager – none of whom made the offensive comment – can be seen smirking in the vision, according to the Canberra Times which first reported the story. The Times reports that the same sergeant asked the teen — who was in foster care — if he had parents. He replied 'Nah'. 'No parents? You just magically appeared on the face of the Earth?' the sergeant replied. In a statement sent to ACT Chief Police Officer Scott Lee said the officer's actions 'are unacceptable and will not be tolerated'. 'I hold everyone in ACT Policing to high standards of professionalism and integrity, as do our officers, and this is in line with community expectations,' he said. 'The comments of the officer during a Watch House intake in 2024 are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. 'It falls well below the standards expected of our officers and was dealt with swiftly after the incident occurred with the matter currently being investigated by AFP Professional Standards.' He said that while the investigation continues, 'appropriate action has been taken to ensure the seriousness of the incident was understood'. A young Aboriginal leader, Jordan Hindmarsh-Keevil, posted a video on his popular social media channels calling out the incident. 'I hate making videos about negative things, but this is f***ing very important because I bet you didn't hear about it,' he said. 'Although this video might make you angry, I do not mean to divide anyone. All I want from this is for people who believe that Australia is not a racist country — those people say so because it doesn't say it legally anywhere. 'What they do not understand is this treatment is not a one-off. This happens all the time. 'This officer looked at a 17-year-old boy and he said 'are you thinking about necking yourself?' Two of the other coppers who were standing next to this man started smirking and smiling. And this officer had already mocked this kid for not having parents because he was in foster care. 'I am angry at the police that did this but I'm angry that this type of hatred towards other people exists'. The Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, called the incident 'abhorrent misconduct'. 'In the context of the horrifying and ongoing epidemic of Aboriginal deaths in custody in this jurisdiction and across Australia, this comment can be seen as a deliberate incitement to an Aboriginal child to end his life,' she said in a statement. 'What is even more horrific is the young person is a survivor of forcible removal … the police interrogation used against this young person by police is shameful.' Professor Hannah McGlade from Curtin University researches issues around Indigenous human rights and issues in custody. She was horrified when she learned about the officer's comments. 'It was horrific that a young vulnerable Aboriginal boy is being taunted to commit suicide at the watch house,' she told 'And being goaded. Do people not know the leading cause of death for young Aboriginal boys is suicide? Do they think it's a laughing matter? ' This is about inflicting mental trauma. Severe trauma,' she said.'The kind of trauma that can lead to a child that can take their own life. 'How much more cruel could you be? I'm a family foster carer and that weighs heavily. It beggars belief. We simply haven't tackled racism in this country. We're criminalising the most vulnerable children in Australia.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Appeal for more foster carers in Hull
A woman from Hull said becoming a foster carer was "one of the best things I've ever done".Pam Wilkinson, who has been a foster carer for 14 years, said: "It's changed me for the better. I've learnt so much about patience, resilience, and joy."Ms Wilkinson, 64, is supporting a Hull City Council appeal for more foster carers to take in children in care. Councillor Linda Tock, portfolio holder for children's services, said: "If you ever thought about fostering, now is the time to act. Let's raise the roof for children who deserve to stay in the city they know and love." Ms Wilkinson said: "I've always had a busy home. It just felt right to open it up to children who need a bit of love and stability."Every child that's come through our door has left a little mark on my heart. I absolutely love it. It's not just about giving them a home, it's about giving them hope."The council said there were 747 children in care in Hull, but an extra 150 foster families were needed. The authority said it offered five additional days of paid leave per year to staff who foster, as well as flexibility to support a child without sacrificing their career progression. Fostering is open to single people, couples, those with children, renters and homeowners. "Fostering is at the very heart of the fabric of Hull. It's about local people stepping up for local children," Tock said.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kentucky auditor sues governor in bid to end dispute blocking kinship care law
Kentucky 's Republican auditor sued Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday, asking a judge to untangle a dispute blocking the implementation of a state law meant to support adults who step up to care for young relatives who endured suspected abuse or neglect at home. The standoff revolves around whether funds are available to carry out the law's intent — enabling relatives who take temporary custody of children to later become eligible for foster care payments. Beshear signed Senate Bill 151 in April 2024 and his administration has praised the measure for seeking to help children in bad situations be placed with relatives or close family friends. But the governor warned at the time that lawmakers had not approved the necessary funding. A year later, his administration still maintains that nearly $20 million is needed for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services to put the law into action, the lawsuit says. In her suit, Auditor Allison Ball says the state Constitution requires Beshear's administration to 'do whatever it takes' to carry out Kentucky laws. The suit asks a state judge to 'remind' the administration of that duty. 'As the policymaking body and holder of the power of the purse that determines the proper level of funding to give state agencies to carry out the commonwealth's laws, the General Assembly says that Governor Beshear and CHFS have more than enough money to carry out SB151 and must do so,' the suit says. Beshear's office said Thursday that his administration notified lawmakers on multiple occasions about the costs associated with carrying it out. 'Lawmakers had many opportunities to deliver the funding during both the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions but chose not to,' Beshear spokesperson Crystal Staley said in a statement. 'It is simple: The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled the state cannot implement programs and policies if it doesn't have the funding to do so," she added. Kentucky lawmakers ended this year's session weeks ago and aren't scheduled to reconvene until the 2026 session begins in January. An estimated 55,000 Kentucky children are currently in what's commonly called kinship care — when a child is living with relatives or close family friends instead of their parents. The 2024 measure — which sailed through Kentucky's Republican-led legislature with overwhelming support — is meant to fix what child welfare advocates say was a flaw in the support system. The law gives relatives considerably more time to apply to become foster parents for their young relatives, and thus eligible for foster care payments to help support the children already in their care. Frustration over the dispute resurfaced Tuesday when GOP lawmakers, including state Sen. Julie Raque Adams, the measure's lead sponsor, called out Beshear's administration for not implementing the law. 'They don't even have a program model for SB151, yet they continue to insist it would cost $20 million to implement,' she said. 'You can't assign a price tag to something you haven't built. The truth is, they have the tools to get started. They just haven't.' Ball's office started an investigation last October to determine whether the health and family services cabinet has the money to carry out the law or whether lawmakers needed to appropriate more funds. The suit says the probe has stalled because of what it calls the cabinet's 'obstruction,' and it asks the judge to order Beshear's administration to provide whatever information the auditor needs to complete the review.
