Man charged after Children’s Aid Society worker assaulted
Posted on May4, 2012
OTTAWA — A 58-year-old man faces charges after a Children’s Aid Society worker
was assaulted and choked at her office in the east end of the city.
Police were called to the office at 1602 Telesat Court on April 20 at about 1:15
p.m. after Anne Marie Chabot was assaulted.
The suspect fled the office before police arrived, but was later arrested.
CAS Executive Director Barbara MacKinnon said Chabot was taken to the hospital
after she was attacked, and returned to work about a week later.
“It is a really difficult balance for the workers because they are balancing the
desire to engage and help a family do the best for their children and take care
of their own safety,” MacKinnon said.
Chabot, child protection worker, has been a CAS employee for more than five
years.
In her current role, she was responsible for visiting families, assessing a
parent’s ability to care for their children and apprehend children in unsafe
situations.
MacKinnon called child protection work “intrusive,” but said CAS employees are
well-trained in crisis prevention.
“We are in circumstances where we are required to intervene and some times that
family is not as willing to have our involvement,” she said. “And those are
difficult circumstances.”
MacKinnon would not disclose the circumstances that led a man to attack Chabot
at the CAS office.
Luc Blondin, 58, was arrested and faces charges of assault and choking.
He was examined by a psychiatrist before appearing in Ottawa court Wednesday.
Blondin was remanded in custody until May 8, when he will next appear in court
by video.
By Meghan Hurley, The Ottawa Citizen
mhurley@ottawacitizen.com
Comment:
While Luc Blondin was examined by a psychiatrist we don't know the rest of the story.
Lets hope that Anne Marie Chabot recovered ok.
While Child Protection Workers encounter an above average risk of meeting
those suffering mental health problems, the 48 Children's Aid Societies of Ontario
have a long reputation for some workers behaving in abusive antagnistic ways towards clients.
If you have any knowledge of the rest of this story of Luc Blondin and or Anne Marie Chabot,
drop us a line.
If you are dealing with the CAS never ever loose your temper, odds are
that is exactly what they want you to do.