B.C. social worker accused of stealing from children pleads guilty
A former social worker accused of stealing money from children in B.C.'s care system has pleaded guilty to several charges, including fraud over $5,000.
Robert Riley Saunders also pleaded guilty Monday to individual counts of breach of trust and using a forged document during his time working for the Ministry of Children and Family Development in Kelowna.
He is scheduled to appear in court again in March for sentencing, the B.C. Prosecution Service said.
Saunders was accused of moving foster children away from stable homes so they would become eligible for financial benefits from the ministry, then taking that funding for himself.
Court documents also claimed a bachelors degree submitted by Saunders when he was hired in the 1990s was fake.
He was originally charged with 10 counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of theft over $5,000, along with the breach of trust and forged documents charges.
Kukpi7 Judy Wilson with the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said a lot of Indigenous children and families were affected, and many of the young people became homeless.
“They were further exploited on the streets, and some lost their lives,” Wilson said. “This demonstrates as a failure of the justice system to actually serve out true justice for Indigenous people and the youth.”
Wilson said with the country about to observe the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, “this needs to be a different era."
“We need to change the narrative,” she said. “Our Indigenous children suffer, and are still suffering, because of the unaccountability, the inaction from government, and also in our court systems.”
Wilson added there need to be more extensive reference checks, along with monitoring and evaluation to help prevent future situations exploiting young people in care, including helping them understand their own rights.
“I hate seeing this happen to any families,” she said. “My heart goes out to those families that have been affected, those youth.”
She also said the alleged victims should be followed up on, to check on their well-being.
“They’re struggling right now,” Wilson said.
The provincial government previously settled a class action lawsuit with more than 100 of Saunders' alleged victims, paying them a base amount of $25,000, with additional payments available to those who are Indigenous, had their education delayed, or experienced homelessness, psychological harm, sexual exploitation or injury.
Saunders never filed a response to the lawsuit.
He was arrested in Alberta in December 2020 following what authorities described as a "lengthy and laborious investigation," which began in 2018 and covered the approximately 22 years he had been employed with the ministry.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.