Saturday, December 05, 2009

MCYS foster father

Question - Should MCYS apologise publicly to the 15-year old girl?

Here are the reasons for the apology:-

a) MCYS is essentially responsible for the appointment of the foster parents.
b) Four years after the incident, the girl is still traumatised and dogged by nightmares of the incident.


Here are the reasons against the apology:-
a) The quilty foster father has gone through training.
b) The foster family has been appointed since March 2003. The reported crime happened in 2005.
c) There is a due process by an independent assessment panel to approve the appointment.
d) He committed non-violence crimes (theft/attempted house breaking) more than 20 years ago.
e) The other five children cared for by the same family are unharmed. (Someone please go check with them.)
e) He is seen to be part of a healthy family of wife and 2 children.
f) In 2006, there was another similar case by another foster parent.
g) These are isolated incidents.

The current Prime Minister of Australia apologised publicly for the crimes committed against children in foster care in the last decade. While the situation may not be so prevalent in Singapore, it is a matter of basic human courtesy for someone in MCYS to take some responsibility to and for the girl.

1 comment:

beka said...

MCYS also returned her to the custody of her biological parents, after her father sexually abused her at the age of ten. I can't understand why.