A long and harrowing court process involving many victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at former foster homes in Prince Edward County came to a conclusion Monday in Picton’s Superior Court.
William (Bill) Sweet, the former Executive Director of the Prince Edward County Children’s Aid Society, pleaded guilty to the provincial offense of allowing a contravention of the Child and Family Services Act in that a child was not sufficiently supervised and protected allowing abuse to occur.
A total of 20 criminal charges against Sweet of Negligence Causing Bodily Harm and Failing to Provide the Necessaries of Life laid by the OPP in 2008 were withdrawn.
Mr. Justice Stephen Hunter agreed with the joint submission by the Crown and the attorney for Sweet, and sentenced Sweet, 68 at the time the criminal charges were laid, to two years probation, a total donation of $3,000 to three community organizations and no less than 20 hours a month of community service.
Several young women gave passionate victim abuse statements, describing serious sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at the hands of several former foster parents in a handful of different foster homes between 2002 and 2010. One of the women said sex orgies were allowed in the foster home she was in. Abuse was also committed on boys in foster care but the victims were primarily girls.
When victims reported abuse to Children’s Aid it was either ignored or incomplete investigations were carried out.
The victims all said they were still dealing with relationship and trust issues with some still dealing with drug and alcohol problems, suicidal thoughts, sleeping problems, anxiety attacks, and self-hate issues.
In one of the former foster homes, operated by Joe and Janet Holms, pornographic images and movies were shown, and the teens under care were encouraged to have sex amongst themselves in view of the Holms, and drug and alcohol abuse was condoned.
There was also inappropriate sexual behaviour against the teens by the parents in the homes, and some have been convicted and have served jail time.
One of the victims described her foster home as a “haunted house”. Another thanked God and her faith for allowing her to pull through the abuse and put her life together.
“I trusted the children’s aid system, I thought it would lead me to a better life. It failed.”
William Sweet spoke briefly before the sentence was handed down, addressing the victims and their families. “I know that nothing I say can take away the pain that you felt. I want to say how deeply sorry I am for the things that have happened to you during your time in foster care. You deserved to be listened to, you deserved to be believed. You trusted that the adults who you trusted to ensure your safety would take care of you. We know now that the system failed you. We all failed you and that includes me. You deserve better. To those who made statements today I heard you and appreciate the courage it takes to share your experience and the lasting impact it has had on your life. In speaking up and telling the truth you have held the system accountable and have helped to make meaningful change. It is my sincere hope that you can find comfort in the positive impact that you have made in the lives of so many children who have come after you.”
Justice Hunter thanked the victims for having the courage to step up and expose the abuse which he described as “horrific”. He praised the victims for their perseverance as they had to reinvent themselves, undertaking the difficult if not impossible task of making normal lives for themselves.
However, the judge stressed it was important to remember that Sweet did not commit any abuse and did not know about it until too late. It was stressed that Sweet was seeing incomplete/missing information from the several people working under him and that the former way of record-keeping by children’s aid societies often didn’t allow some information to be shared.
Justice Hunter pointed to the letters from several former society employees who praised Sweet as a hard-working and compassionate man.
“Mr. Sweet does not warrant a criminal conviction.” However, the judge said that as head of the organization Sweet did bear some responsibility for the abuse that occurred.
