QUEEN’S PARK – Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo and NDP Justice Critic Peter Kormos today praised Parkdale-High Park activists who were successful in forcing the Government to act on the tragic death of Katelynn Sampson.

“Today’s revisions regarding child justice by Attorney General Chris Bentley are in response to the massive outcry by the residents of Parkdale High Park, concerned citizens across Ontario, and by Katelynn’s biological mother Bernice Sampson on the need for action,” said DiNovo.

NDP Justice Critic Peter Kormos stated that “this tragedy demonstrates the flaws in the system. However, we need further resources to strengthen legal aid and to increase funding to social services in order to ensure that social workers and child advocates are available to find safe placements for children.”

In response to these events, Kormos has also lodged a complaint against Justice Debra Paulseth’s conduct in this case.

DiNovo added that “Bentley’s steps are necessary to address this terrible event. Yet, we are calling for additional efforts to end child poverty and to address the underfunding of addiction services so that Bernice Sampson might have been able to keep her daughter safe.”

DiNovo and Kormos thank all of those Parkdale High Park activists and Bernice Sampson who never relented in their pressure to remember Katelynn and to change the system in order to protect all children in Ontario.