Inquest into five-year old’s starvation death

A coroner’s inquest into the death of a five-year old Toronto boy who passed away over ten years ago, began today.

Jeffrey Baldwin starved to death in 2002. By that time, he weighed slightly less than what he did on his first birthday.

Jeffrey’s grandparents, Elva Bottineau and Norman Kidman, were convicted of second degree murder in 2006.

Last year, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal from the boy’s grandmother. Bottineau’s lawyer had argued her IQ of 69 prevented her from understanding malnutrition was likely to kill her grandson.

The inquest is expected to last three months and hear from about 35 witnesses.