Social workers have a crucial role in society to make sure people’s rights are not violated and that citizens of all ages, backgrounds, and social statuses are protected by means that are regulated by the law. However even the best of systems with the most educated people will have its flaws. Unfortunately when the system fails people will get hurt and they will quickly become victims of the system that’s supposed to protect them. To make it all worst, this isn’t happening in a third world country. It seems as though some social workers in Canada lack the ethics and morals that are needed to protect the underprivileged, the sick, and the helpless.
Dezrin Carby-Samuels who has been a resident of Ottawa, was desperate for help and all she wanted was her son to keep being her caregiver. Despite her wishes, her violent and abusive husband managed to persuade the police and social workers to bar the son from even visiting his mother. Ms. Timmons, the social worker assigned to the case, chose to ignore the son’s testimony, the husband’s police record, and a heartbreaking note that the elderly mother passed off to her son in which she wrote “Dad abuses me”. Apparently all of this wasn’t enough to convince the social worker that Mrs. Dezrin would be in grave danger is she was left at the mercy of her violent husband.
In one family incident that occurred, the elderly woman’s husband attacked the son with a knife which resulted in severe injuries. And despite having the knowledge about all of these events, Ms. Timmons still thought it would be best if the clearly abusive husband assumed the role of her caregiver. Sadly enough for everyone involved, this heartbreaking story isn’t about to get any better. The social worker was caught lying in a phone call that the desperate son made to the Nepean, Rideau and Osgoode Resource Centre. In this phone call she makes it clear that no lawyers will be allowed at a previously arranged meeting. Soon after she signed an affidavit in which she claimed that the Community Resource Center did not prevent a lawyer to be present.
The victim’s son is adamant to keep fighting for his mother’s rights, despite the police and social services working against him. When any particular system that exists for the sole purpose of defending people’s rights goes this far in committing such a horrific act of negligence is when the community needs to stand up and speak out for what’s right. Nothing can undo the horrors this family has went through, but with the truth on their side hopefully this loving son will be reunited with his mother before her health deteriorates further.
