How Could You? Hall of Shame-Kevin Fanning/Canada & Lawsuit UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, “[a] freedom of information request by The Province has uncovered disturbing new evidence of system flaws and blundering by Ministry of Children and Family employees, in the case of Kevin Fanning. ”

 

Fanning was a relief worker hired by foster caregivers. “Fanning, 51, pleaded guilty last fall to sexually exploiting and sexually assaulting a vulnerable 17-year-old boy in late 2009, while hired as an overnight caregiver in a Richmond foster home.”

 

No criminal or background checks were performed on him.

“In October 2010, B.C. Provincial Court Judge Ron Fratkin sentenced Fanning to 60 days in jail plus three years’ probation, while noting he should never have been hired.

 

It was revealed in court that Fanning and the victim “would smoke marijuana and, on occasion, they would be naked . . . also watch pornography together.”

 

At some point, a sex act took place between the two.

 

Fratkin read from a psychological report on Fanning — who was one of the victims in a high-profile 1990’s case — which described how, after he was abused starting at the age of 11, he went on to display cruelty to animals, abused substances, developed sexual-identity problems and by the age of 19, turned to male prostitution in Vancouver. ”

 

This disabled teen was not the only one in danger because “[r]eview documents also say “many caregivers” have hired Fanning over the years.”

 

“The primary foster parent, who did not live in the home and is not named in the review, hired Fanning in 2009 as the latest in a string of seven-night-a-week “relief” staffers for two boys in the home.”

 

Referring to the foster parent who hired Fanning, “[i]n his 2005 home-study report, case worker Garry Kettleson said the “unconventional” sub-contracting arrangement “represents an extreme use of relief, almost to the point . . . that the relief ­caregiving is acting as a co-foster parent.”

Government and Foster Parent Neglect Played Role in Sexual Abuse of Disabled Teen

[The Province 3/2/11 by Sam Cooper]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

 

Update: Now the victim has filed a lawsuit against Kevin Fanning, his supervisor and the director of the Child Welfare Department .

“The 19-year-old victim, identified in court documents only by the  initials J.D., filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court in May.

At the core of the lawsuit are allegations that the ministry and  the foster care home’s supervisor knew of the attacker’s troubled history, and still allowed him to supervise J.D.

The new allegations must still be proven in court.

J.D. is seeking damages for pain and suffering, future care, loss  of income and aggravated damages against former foster care worker Kevin Fanning, former foster care supervisor Hugh Freiberg, and  the provincial director of child welfare.

According to the court documents obtained by The Richmond Review,  J.D. was placed into a foster care facility in Richmond operated by Freiberg in 2009.

While there, J.D. was “repeatedly sexually assaulted and sexually battered by Fanning,” the lawsuit states. Fanning was sentenced in       2010 to 60 days in prison and a three-year term of probation after pleading guilty to sexual assault and sexual exploitation of J.D.

The lawsuit claims that Freiberg “knew or ought to have known of  (J.D.’s) pre-sexual assault diagnoses, vulnerabilities and tendencies…”

Freiberg, according to the lawsuit, relied on caregivers for  “extensive amounts of relief care” at the foster home, where Freiberg did not live, but worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Freiberg hired Fanning to provide relief caregiver services in  2008.

Meanwhile, the director of child welfare knew of Fanning’s foster care history, when he too was the victim of sexual assault as a young boy.

“Fanning later returned to live with his family but led a  troubled and disturbing teenage life which included abusing substances, showing cruelty to animals, developing sexual identity problems, and then, by adulthood, turning to male prostitution,” the lawsuit states. “At all material times, it was a requirement of the director for anyone hired or contracted to work with children in a foster care environment, including relief  caregivers, to undergo a background and criminal-record check.”

But the lawsuit claims Freiberg and the child welfare director either didn’t perform a criminal record check of Fanning or didn’t  adequately look into Fanning’s background.

The lawsuit details how the relationship evolved between J.D. and  Fanning.

It alleges Fanning built a rapport and trust relationship with  J.D. in which Fanning introduced drugs, alcohol, pornography,  nudity and sexual contact on a regular and increasing basis.

Fanning coerced J.D. during the sexual assaults by promising   drugs and/or alcohol, and/or threatening to withhold further drugs       and/or alcohol.

Fanning committed sexual assaults on J.D. for a period of months  prior to being arrested by the Richmond RCMP in December 2009.

The lawsuit claims the child welfare director and/or its agents  were negligent and breached its duty of care to J.D., including failing to properly train and supervise Fanning and/or Freiberg.

“The conduct of the defendants, collectively and/or individually,  showed reckless disregard for the well-being of the plaintiff. The       defendants’ conduct was callous, reprehensible and arrogant and offends the ordinary community standards of moral and decent  conduct,” the lawsuit states in supporting the claim for  aggravated damages.”

Victim sues former foster care worker

[Richmond Review 7/11/12 by  Martin van den Hemel]