12°c Overcast
18°c Cloudy with sunny breaks
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Questions continue for Abigosis at Sinclair inquiry
Former social worker faces second day of testimony
Delores Chief Abigosis, rear, a social worker testified again Tuesday at the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry. Here her advocate tries to block her face while leaving the inquiry for a lunch break Monday. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
The social worker who can't account for gaps in service to Phoenix Sinclair was commuting from Brokenhead First Nation to her job at Winnipeg Child and Family Services and attending university full time, the inquiry into the death of the child in care heard this morning.
"I was a very busy person," Delores Chief Abigosis said at the public hearing.
The provincial inquiry is trying to find out if and how the child welfare system failed Phoenix who died in 2005 at the hands of her mother Samantha Kematch and her boyfriend Karl McKay.
Abigosis said she was assigned the case when she started working at CFS in November of 2000. She said her supervisor at CFS knew she was attending classes at the University of Manitoba.
Her first visit with Phoenix and the little girl’s family didn't happen until February 2001, and there was no record of Abigosis doing any work on the file in all of December and January of that year.
Abigosis said she had a demanding caseload, and the troubled young family was no different than any other on her list. She testified she may have tried several times to drop in on the family who had no phone, and failed to make a note of it.
She told the inquiry today she tendered her resignation in July of 2001 partly because the strain of attending school while working full time was taking a toll on her. The other reason was the death of three-month-old Echo Sinclair, Phoenix's baby sister.
Echo was born Apr. 29, 2001 to Kematch and Phoenix's father, Steve Sinclair, although CFS was unaware of the pregnancy. Baby Echo died in July 2001 of an acute respiratory infection. Abigosis said the baby’s death was a traumatic event and she decided to quit working for the agency.
History
Updated on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 2:18 PM CST: adds Cover it Live -- apologies for the delay in adding
2:22 PM: adds photo
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Province announces service for Elijah Harper
05/18/2013 4:56 PM 0View Related
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Two women face rare charges of harbouring alleged murderer
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- One dead in Highway 10 collision
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Head-on collision kills pickup driver
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Flood victim gets six years for shotgun threat, attack
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- VIDEO: Left on the ice to rot
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Li granted additional day passes
- Raleigh holds annual tour of backyard chicken coops, part of national spread of urban farming
- WHO warns Saudi coronavirus may be spreading; calls for urgent search for source
- Province announces service for Elijah Harper
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- U.S. bill would give Canadian snowbirds more time to spend in the sun
- Guitar-playing astronaut bows out of space station with music video of Bowie's 'Space Oddity'
- Microsoft update to address Windows 8 complaints, confusion will be free; to be called 8.1
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Uganda: Blessed are the children
- Winning 6/49 ticket purchased in Winnipeg
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- VIDEO: Left on the ice to rot
- Paul McCartney to play Winnipeg Aug. 12
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- RCMP charge man with double-homicide in Ethelbert
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.