Police say no link between allegations of child sexual abuse and hospital duties
A second employee facing criminal charges has prompted The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to order an external review of its workplace safeguards, following the resignation of a housekeeping worker charged with child sexual abuse and exploitation-related offences.
The hospital said it has engaged external experts to examine its current processes, controls and safeguards aimed at preventing child harm. SickKids also plans to increase organizational knowledge of child sexual abuse and exploitation through programming offered by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
According to the hospital, the review follows the criminal charges filed against Alvin Dela Cruz, a member of its housekeeping team. The Toronto Police Service (TPS) has charged Dela Cruz with child sexual abuse and exploitation-related offences.
SickKids said Dela Cruz was placed on leave immediately after the organization became aware of the charges. The employee has since resigned from the hospital.
The latest case follows recent criminal charges involving a SickKids physician for possessing and accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
However, TPS has indicated there is no evidence linking the alleged criminal charges to either employee's work at SickKids.
Pre-employment screening at SickKids
The hospital said it already has measures in place to help maintain a safe environment. Those measures include pre-employment screening processes, policies and standards of conduct, workplace safeguards, and technology controls designed to detect and prevent inappropriate or illegal activity within its systems.
At the same time, SickKids said it recognizes that no set of safeguards can prevent every instance of alleged criminal conduct. Therefore, the organization said it will continue reviewing its existing controls with the support of outside experts.
"The conduct described in the charges is completely unacceptable and runs contrary to our core values. It represents a profound breach of the trust that patients, families, staff and the public place in the people who work at SickKids," said Ronald Cohn, president and CEO of SickKids.
"The safety and well-being of our patients, families, and staff is our highest priority, and we are committed to maintaining the trust that our community places in us."
Modernizing police record check system
Ontario is proposing changes to modernize the police record check system. The provincial government said the changes would reduce processing times for police record checks, including vulnerable sector checks commonly required for positions involving children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups. The proposal would also allow applicants to share verified digital results with multiple employers instead of repeating the process for each job application.
The Ontario government estimates that more than one million police record checks are processed each year in the province. More than 70% of those requests are vulnerable sector checks, which are commonly used by employers and organizations hiring people who will work with vulnerable populations, including children.
Under Ontario's Police Record Checks Reform Act, employers cannot obtain a police record check without the knowledge and consent of the individual. Applicants must authorize the release of the information before results can be shared with a prospective employer.
