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The role of the coroner in the detection of child abuse and neglect

University of British Columbia

The role of the Coroner in child protection is examined from the creation of the office in Medieval England to the current B.C. Coroners Service. Legislation and policy of the Coroner and Ministry of Social Services are examined with regards to investigating deaths of children. An exploratory, descriptive review was conducted of the B.C. Coroner's files for 1986 to 1989 to identify abuse and neglect deaths. Thirtyfive child abuse and neglect deaths were identified. Ministry of Social Services files were searched to determine if there were prior child welfare investigations. Results indicated these had been conducted in 14 of the cases. Five children had been apprehended and returned prior to the incident causing death. Victims and perpetrators were similar to those of other studies. Children under the age of 5 account for 80% of the victims, slightly more males than females were killed, and parent or parent substitutes were identified as the perpetrator in 74% of the deaths. Training for Coroners, social workers, police and medical staff dealing with possible child abuse and neglect deaths is recommended. It is recommended that the Coroner review all deaths in which M.S.S. had, or should have had, any involvement. The Coroner has and continues to play a valuable role in detecting child abuse and neglect, and in educating agencies and the public.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-06

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4205

Social Work

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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