Foster Mother Expected to Testify Today At Inquest

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - The foster mother who  was looking after Savannah Hall  is expected to  testify today at the  Coroner's inquest into the  three year old's  death.

Patricia Keene had been a foster parent for several years, in fact,  the former Director of Child Protection for the North, Richard King, has testified  he often asked Pat and her husband to speak to  groups of parents  who were in the orientation porcess to become foster parents.

Yesterday, the inquest heard allegations of maltreatment of a foster child.  The  transcribed interview of a foster child  was read to the jury.  The child claimed he had been forced to swallow soap,  take cold showers,  had been hit on the head with a wooden spoon and was forced  to spend long periods in a  room  with no windows.  The incidents were said to have happened in 1997, a full  year before Savannah was placed in the Keene home, and  about four years before she died.

Coroner Scott Fleming has advised the jury that the Keenes are not on trial,  "These are allegations, nothing more, " said Fleming.   He reminded the jury the inquest is not to  place blame, only  determine how the 3 year old died,  and make recommendations aimed at preventing a similar death.

Savannah Hall was  rushed to Prince George Regional Hospital on January 24th of 2001.  She  was in a coma, non responsive, and was rushed to  B.C. Children's Hospital.  She died there on the 26th of January.  The cause of death has been  documented as swelling of the brain, but  how the swelling came  about has not been determined.

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