Dr. Marty McKay has never met Karim Khadr, but based on what she's seen in the media she's launched a complaint with the Children's Aid Society. She says she's worried about the safety of the 15-year-old.

"To me it was very clear that there was reasonable suspicion of child abuse that necessitated a thorough and complete investigation," she said.

Maha Elsamnah Khadr and her son Karim are Canadian citizens who have been living in Pakistan. The Khadrs returned to Canada last week. Karim is in need of medical care.

Karim Khadr

Karim was hospitalized in Pakistan last October when he was shot during a gunfight with Pakistani troops. The same shootout killed his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, an Egyptian-born Canadian who was allegedly an al-Qaeda leader and a close confidant of Osama bin Laden.

McKay has worked as a consultant for the CAS for 28 years and believes Karim has had a harmful upbringing, that he may even have been brainwashed.

"If a child has been programmed to believe his life is not worthwhile unless he sacrifices it, this is tantamount to suicide counselling and would be deemed to be inappropriate."

Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Marie Bountrogianni says she can't speak about specifics, but "what the Children's Aid Society has jurisdiction over is what is happening here. And any possibility of future abuse, as well."

Karim Khadr spent the day in a Toronto hospital undergoing medical tests. His older brother, Abdurahman, rejects any abuse allegations.

"I'm sure that my father wouldn't want to put my brother, or my mother wouldn't want to put my brother, in harm's way, at all. That is a fact," he said.

The CAS won't confirm or deny that it is investigating the Khadrs for child abuse, but will say it is at the preliminary stages of collecting information, which will include Dr. McKay's three-page complaint.