Advocate says boy, 10, suspected in death of six-year-old needed supervision

REGINA – Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate says a 10-year-old boy who police say killed a six-year-old boy probably should not have been in the community unsupervised.

Bob Pringle says the boy was getting help from Social Services because he has complex needs.

He was diagnosed with a developmental disorder shortly before the six-year-old was killed last August.

But Pringle says in a report that there were significant gaps in aid provided by the Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services, which was the local child welfare agency on the case.

He also notes that the RCMP and school officials had alerted the agency to the boy’s behavioural issues, yet his needs remained unaddressed.

The boy is in care now and Pringle says he is likely to require close supervision for many years to come.

Legislation prevents Pringle from naming the boys, but the RCMP have said Lee Bonneau was found dead on a Saskatchewan reserve with head trauma.

Lee was not a member of the First Nation and was visiting the reserve with his foster mother, who had gone to play bingo.