This teen was admitted to an anti-trafficking shelter to keep her safe. Then, she went missing
CBC
A couple from Flesherton, Ont., say a youth home that specializes in combatting human trafficking didn't do enough to protect their 15-year-old daughter, who went missing from the facility last month.
Laura McKenzie and Erik Dixon say they entrusted youth home Studio Blue at the Women's Centre Grey Bruce in Owen Sound, Ont., with their daughter, Jillianne Dixon, who they say had previously been a victim of online luring.
Less than three weeks into the program, she went missing.
"Our hearts were pounding. It was terrifying," Dixon said about the early morning call from police about her disappearance last month.
The Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS) says it is investigating the disappearance along with police units in the Greater Toronto Area. OSPS say the teen was last seen at 8 p.m. local time on April 28.
McKenzie, 40, and Dixon, 41, allege the youth home did not act on a tip it received about Jillianne's plans to meet a man from Brampton days before she disappeared. The tip came from another parent, but Jillianne's parents say they were not informed about it by the youth home.
They also raise concerns about oversight and security measures at the home being inadequate to keep residents safe.
CBC Toronto contacted the facility with a list of questions relating to the parents' concerns, including why the youth home did not inform the parents about the tip. In an emailed statement, the non-profit's executive director said the organization won't be answering any questions while the disappearance remains under police investigation.
"Our thoughts are with Jillianne's family and we are hoping for her safe return," Heather Sheldrick wrote.
Local police are asking for public assistance in finding the teen and say she is believed to have known associations in the Greater Toronto Area.
McKenzie and Dixon say they are speaking out because they want their daughter to come home safely, and to caution other parents with vulnerable children.
"She went there because she was sick. That's what we were offered for our daughter who was struggling with mental health, who was vulnerable," McKenzie said through tears.
"We love her, we miss her terribly. We want her home."
During her stay at the youth home, Jillianne befriended another teen resident from Owen Sound. The teen's mother, Christine St Coeur, told CBC Toronto Jillianne came over to her house on the evening of April 22. She described Jillianne as kind and polite.
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