Two passages stand out from the final report of the Laurent Commission, which examined shortcomings in Quebec’s youth protection system and should have marked a turning point in how the province cares for its most vulnerable children.

“We must move from indignation to dignity. We must transform our anger into action. We must show ourselves to be worthy of our children and our youth,” stated the report tabled in 2021, capping off an inquiry presided over by Régine Laurent following the horrific case of “la fillette de Granby.”

The seven-year-old girl died in 2019 after suffering unspeakable abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother, despite multiple alerts sent to the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse.

The case shocked, outraged and galvanized Quebecers.

“We conclude that prevention, by access to services, remains the weak link of the system,” the report also noted.

These words reverberate five years later as Quebec grapples with the deaths of not one, but three children who slipped through the cracks of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, which offers service in English. They died this spring within a month of each other, but two of the fatalities have only come to light this summer, after whistleblowers spoke out to The Gazette.

A four-year-old — whose sibling had died previously — had bruises and signs of malnutrition at the time of her death. Her caseworker had been reassigned. A 17-year-old boy took his own life while waiting for an assessment. A 16-year-old girl at Batshaw’s facility in Prévost died by........

© Montreal Gazette