Jeffrey Baldwin's mother tells inquest about losing son
After several delays, Jeffrey Baldwin's mother testified at the inquest into the five-year-old's 2002 starvation death.
Yvonne Kidman described to the jury how she lost custody of her son and his three siblings to her parents — and that she was unaware it would be permanent custody.
Her parents were each convicted of second-degree murder after Jeffrey was found starved to death in their home.
Kidman was 17 years old when she had her first child with Jeffrey's father. She described how her mother, Elva Bottineau, eventually gained custody of all her children through family court. Kidman said the Catholic Children's Aid Society (CCAS) was first called by a neighbour who heard her and her common law husband arguing.
At the time Kidman only had one child.
Later when Jeffery and another sister were born, Kidman learned her mother was also reporting arguments to the CCAS, expressing concern that the children were at risk.
Kidman testified when she signed documents giving custody of Jeffrey and his siblings to her parents, she didn't know she was giving up control of them permanently.
Kidman said the CCAS told her that if she didn't give custody to her parents, her children would be put in foster care and she would never see them again.
The jury also saw pictures of Jeffrey just after he moved to the Bottineau home. He looked healthy and happy.
Jeffrey weighed almost 10 pounds at birth.
He was just over 20 pounds when he died of complications due to starvation just before his sixth birthday.
Kidman continues her testimony tomorrow.
