The B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2010.Darryl Dyck/ The Canadian Press
British Columbia's privacy commissioner is looking into whether personal information about a family involved in a child sexual abuse case has been shared.
The mother – identified as J.P. in court documents – won a civil lawsuit against the province after social workers enabled her estranged husband to molest their toddler while she was in foster care.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Paul Walker ruled last month the ministry showed "reckless disregard" when it failed to investigate the claims of the children in the family that their father had sexually abused them.
The government announced last week it would be appealing the ruling.
Former senior civil servant Bob Plecas is also reviewing the case. But J.P. doesn't want to share her personal information with Mr. Plecas, even though her complaint indicates the Ministry of Child and Family Development may have already forwarded the file to him.
She said in the complaint that she does not consent to having either her or her children's information released and wants assurances that no one, including Mr. Plecas or the province, will see the family's personal records.
J.P. and her former husband, identified as B.G., have four children, born between 2002 and 2008.
The ministry issued a statement saying it expected privacy concerns would be raised and it is co-operating with the investigation.
Mr. Plecas has been designated a director with the ministry while he conducts the review in order to give him access to the confidential files.
The final terms of the review were released Wednesday and show Mr. Plecas will look at whether actions taken in J.P.'s case were in line with the laws and policies at the time.
Special attention will be paid to what happens when a child protection matter also involves custody and parental access.
"If at the end of the day, I can only make one or two recommendations that save one child's life or get one child out of a situation where these children found themselves, I'll deem that successful," Mr. Plecas told reporters Wednesday.
Mr. Plecas will be paid $625 per day during the review.
He will submit his report to Children's Minister Stephanie Cadieux by Oct. 13 and the report will be made public by Oct. 21.