This is a costs decision in a child protection matter where the respondent father sought costs against the Hastings Children's Aid Society following a 14-day trial.
The Society had brought a protection application alleging the children were at risk of sexual and emotional harm from the father.
The court found the father had not posed a risk of sexual harm and dismissed the Society's application on that ground.
Only the older child was found to be at risk of emotional harm, unrelated to the father's actions.
The court awarded costs of $50,000 against the Society, finding it had failed to conduct a thorough investigation, relied almost exclusively on the mother's allegations, and failed to meet its ongoing obligation to investigate and present all relevant facts to the court.
