The mother of a 17-year-old victim of a Manitoba mass killing is suing a child welfare agency for failing to protect the girl.

Juliette Hastings claims in the lawsuit that Winnipeg Children and Family Services, the General Authority for Children and Family Services and the director of Children and Family Services were “careless, negligent and negligent in their statutory duty” to her daughter, Myah-Lee Gratton.

The suit was filed at the Court of King’s Bench on Monday. A defense has not yet been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court.

The statement alleges that the home where the teenager was staying was not properly checked and investigated after Myah-Lee raised concerns for her safety.

Myah-Lee was staying at the house in Carman, Man. On February 11, police found the teenager and four others dead in and around the house.

Ryan Manoakeesick faces five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Myah-Lee, his common-law partner Amanda Clearwater, 30, and the couple’s three children: Bethany, 6, Jayven, 4 and two-month-old Isabella. sick of Manoake.

A court date has not yet been set.

Court records show Manoakeesick struggled with a methamphetamine addiction and had anxiety and depression, as well as other underlying mental health issues. He was previously convicted of mischief and sentenced to 18 months of probation in 2019.

The lawsuit says Manoakeesick had a known history of physical violence and instability.

“It was foreseeable that all occupants of the home were at risk of serious injury or death,” the document states.

Myah-Lee had been staying with the family since April 2023, after she told her mother she wanted to move out of their Winnipeg home, the lawsuit states. The teenager received services from the child protection agency.

The lawsuit says Hastings disapproved of the placement and told the agency and told the woman to have no communication with her daughter.

The Carman home was too small for the couple, their children and teenager, the statement said.

“The house was in a chaotic state. It was unsanitary. It was an unsafe location for Myah-Lee,” the document claims.

In October 2023, a violent physical altercation took place with Myah-Lee and Manoakeesick, it is said. Child and Family Services have been notified.

“Myah-Lee specifically requested (Child and Family Services) move her out of that home for her safety. Child and Family Services refused and neglected to take concrete steps to properly investigate and ensure Myah-Lee was safe,” the suit alleges.

“(Child and Family Services) did not help Myah-Lee find a safe home.”

The General Authority for Children and Family Services, which oversees Child and Family Services in Winnipeg, said Tuesday it had not been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment.

The lawsuit says Hastings made several calls to the authority between April 2023 and February, requesting that her daughter be placed in another home.

She also asked the authority to arrange for the RCMP to conduct a well-being check on the home and remove her daughter, the suit says.

They say the RCMP forwarded the request to the agency and the mother also called the police.

Manitoba RCMP said they could not comment due to the lawsuit.

Myah-Lee also spoke with a Carman school counselor and asked for help, the lawsuit says. The councilor is believed to have contacted the authority but nothing happened, the document said.

The lawsuit says Myah-Lee’s death was “a direct result of the defendants’ gross negligence and inaction” because the authority failed to complete a proper home study and ignored warning signs that the teenager was in danger.

The suit seeks general, aggravated and punitive damages, saying Hastings suffered “emotional, physical and mental hardship as a result of the defendants’ failure to provide safety, protection and the necessities of life to Myah-Lee.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 30, 2024.