EVIDENTLY Minister
of Children and
Families Lois Boone
has some difficulty
with the way the Marcu
case was presented in
this space two weeks
ago

Untornimiteh. a wins
mast things the NDP d
doosm’t fet the trath stand in
the was of polite.
thetorig ard contrived tegen

She sand ina letter pub
lished in these Pages Last
Friday. “Your readers deserve
to know that the minnstrs"s
concern for the satety or the
children in this case is based
on information provided by.
and consultation with, med:
ical doctors.”

Unfortunately, the minis-
ter doesn’t understand the
salient tacts any better than
she understands the rules of
basic grammar.

Let's review.

The doctors involved, 4
family practitioner and a
pediatrician, suggested the
possibility of Munchausen
Syndrome By Proxy (MSBP),
because Maricela Marcu was
seeking, in their opinion,
excessive medical treatment
for her voung daughter’s uri-
nary tract infection.

Neither the family doctor
nor the specialist deigned to
treat the fide girl’s problem.
Instead they recused on the
mom.

The ministry tried to force
supervision on the family.
Well, guess what? They didn’t
want an outsider telling them
how to raise their kids. Mrs,
Marcu didn’t accept the con-
clusions reached by the doc-
tors. And why ne
daughter had an infection
that was not being treated.

Mrs, Marcu was ass
by the well-respected pss
trist Dr. Joe Noone, who is
alsa teaching protessor at
UBC.

Dr. Noone stated in his
Aug. 21 report, *... Leould
elicit no evidence that would
support thar Maricela is psy-
chotic at present. Therefore,
I would suggest that a delu-
sional interpretation is not
supported at this stage.”

Now, I should state the
report is 14 pages long, but
it clearly indicates MSBP is
not a relevant diagnosis.

Bear in mind, now, that
Noonc is the recommended
psychiatrist by the doctors
who brought the ministry
into the case. He said they
were wrong.

In the interim period, the
Marcy family changed doc-
tors. The new physician, Dr.
Vinnisky, examined, diag-
nosed and treated the little
girl. Something the previous
doctors the minister refers to,
couldn't.

In an Oct. 28 letter, Dr.
Vinnisky states, “1 am deeply
palled by the conduct of
the Ministry of Children and

Families representatives
towards the family of my
patients, Mr. and Mrs.

foolowy,

oo aking
this Chrisimas!

Tell thern you are on file at...

West Yancouver |
your Name
four Tele
I would Love For Christmas.
Description | Stock =

- Leo
‘Knight |

erime and
punishment

ave Been the meine al
provides tur this tanils tor
about Palla wear and have
a continuous barrage
and intiidanans
ste ther children trem
v. Mis. Marcu was
fabele accused of having
(MSBP). This diagnosis was
eMeecdvely ruled our iy con

“The bottom
line is that the
ministry has
no business
sticking its
‘caring’ faces into
this family’s life.”

sulting psychiatrist Dr. J.
Noone ...7

The letter continues,
Ministry has insisted on
repeated consults by different
psvehiatrists in order to put
in doubt Dr. Neone’s opin-
ion and make it favourahle to
their cause. The contacted
psvehiatrists have refused to
engage in such practices.”

So the minister says she is
relying on “the information
provided by, and consultation
with, medical doctors.”

Apparently only the ones
who started this mess by act-
ing on what can only be
described as a theory, a guess.

The only doctor with the

.

Ministry meddling in |

wApertme to ge a con hisne
ands bem

eored, Se. teo las the fanmly
docter, who did what should
have been done in the tirst
place and treated the coitds
hen onthe cid thar Mors
Marcu Was so cemecmed
about a the rst place

Phe muinistey officals wine

moawept the special

unswer sd “no”

7 Marais’ Ings
Yrwant them
mibowed tered
Mrs. Marcusitto tid
the kids and Mib Marga inte
the fess than pleasant contine:,
of jail for two weeks because
he wouldn’t tell the “carn”
ministry where Ins family was
All the Marcus wantos to
be fett alone by a vovernment
that just cant conceive that
anvone wouldn't want that
government running their

: daily lives.

They have otteced to have
the ministry apprehend the
kids on paper. This, bv Law,
would force a hearing in
front of a judge to determine
whether there is sutficient
evidence for the govern
ments involvement.

But this offer has been
declined. The ministry does-
At appear to want asudicial
review of its actions. Small
wonder,

The minister's letter in the
North Shore News deiiber-
stely tries to mislead vou, the
reader, by saving, “All actions
taken by the ministry were
endorsed by a judge.”

This is untrue.

There has been no judicial
review of the evidence at any
point in this sorry case. The
only involvement by a judge
was fo issue the arrest war-
rant tor Mrs, Marcu and to
put Mr. Marcu in jail when
he would not or could not
reveal their whereabouts. No
judge has sat in judgment of
the evidence.

In fact, that is exactly

—E w e€ bt R

tmporters of Gemstones, Maauficanters of Fire Jewellery

IVES

whatthe Marcu nainul want
and the munistey ts retusimge
ter allow

Beane alsa semplans
abouts “sare te ret
about the child pre

tection worker assig ied to

vee”

the vase
Sarasin? Met Soren nat
, rans the
reonial
rh fram
i MoGili ans

“more than a decade of hid

Concord

Lothar mas on may cor
[ don’t know, but
sure tried to fiad out.

Poned te get that intor
MaUion from a vanery of
Supervisors, CoMMUACATIONS
types and other officials in
the ministry.

Those who did speak to
me refused to reveal anv
intermation af the eaperience
of the worker, Julie Cringle.

ANT had to go on was the
information that came out in
the warrant hearing in which
Cringle stated she had two
vears’ experience as a child
protection worker.

No evidence was provided
about her education, training,
or related experience.

Ir f was wrong Pm sorry.
Butoit’s the mintstre’s own
policies that hide the facts.

Bat that’s all smokesercen
ip anv event. The bottom line
is that the ministry hay ne
business sticking its “caning”
faces into this sanuily’s lite.
They have no legal right to
force Chem to do anvthing on
the basis of a “theory? fater
unproved by an expert.

The Marea ramily want
this matter reviewed by a
judge. The winistry refi

Imagine if this were your
family and your kids. ‘The
minister can chastise me all
she wants. It is she who
should be taken to task for
the obscenity done to the
Marcu family.

— lkniqir@direct.ca

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