Jeffrey Baldwin’s grandmother seen as ‘part of a team’ in his care, before her role in his murder

Former Catholic Children's Aid Society supervisor Marina Sweet

A former supervisor with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto has admitted that Jeffrey Baldwin’s grandmother “was part of a team” that was deciding the little boy’s future and ultimately sent him to the hands of his killers.

Marina Sweet, long retired from the agency, was testifying Tuesday at the Ontario coroner’s inquest into Jeffrey’s death.

Ms. Sweet left the CCAS 12 years ago, so her memory for details has suffered, but she was a frank, no-nonsense witness.

In part because of how the grandmother, Elva Bottineau, had inveigled herself into favour with CCAS staff, she was never subjected to internal agency or criminal records checks.

Yet at the same time, as Ms. Sweet later told lawyer Philip Abbink, who represents Jeffrey’s surviving siblings, even people just inquiring about becoming foster parents, for instance, or who were volunteering with the agency, had to go through internal and/or police checks.  (more...)

Jeffrey Baldwin’s grandmother seen as ‘part of a team’ in his care, before her role in his murder