A 15-year-old girl who was viciously beaten under the care of Manitoba Child and Family Services remains in hospital and may never fully recover, her family says.
The First Nations girl, who cannot be identified, was attacked on April 1 outside a downtown Winnipeg hotel.
Her mother told CTV Winnipeg on Wednesday that she laughs and recognizes her mother’s voice, but is unable to fully speak or see.
The mother says they are taking her daughter’s condition “day by day.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “We’ve had complications since we’ve been here. It’s heartbreaking. She probably won’t be the same.”
In mid-April, the girl was taken off life support. The family said doctors expected her to live only a few hours, but she was able to breathe on her own. Days later, she woke up.
But nearly two months after the attack, the girl continues to require round-the-clock care.
Her mother says all medical decisions must go through child services, but there have been delays.
CFS told CTV that it intends to look into the matter.
Police have charged a 15-year-old boy with aggravated assault and aggravated sexual assault in connection with the case. At the time of the attack, the boy was also in foster care and being housed at the same hotel as the girl.
The attack prompted renewed calls for CFS to stop using hotels to shelter foster children. The Manitoba government has vowed to end the practice by June 1.
With files from CTV Winnipeg
