CAS Rewards Infanticide

December 19, 2006 permalink

Here is more on the case of Jody-Ann Lee, who killed one of her twins. Now after being charged with homicide, she has been awarded visitation with the surviving twin.

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Accused mom can visit surviving twin

Roberta Avery, Toronto Star

BARRIE–A woman charged with murdering her newborn baby has regained the right to spend time with the child's surviving twin.

"The baby's father is devastated," the man's Toronto lawyer, Irving Solnik, said yesterday.

The 34-year-old Barrie woman was charged last month with first-degree murder in the October 2005 death of her newborn girl. She was later released on bail and a publication ban imposed on many details of the case.

Police found the body of the dead girl a few days after her birth and after Simcoe County Children's Aid Society had taken the surviving twin boy into custody.

The mother was charged with neglecting to obtain assistance in the delivery of a child and concealing the body of a child, said Sgt. Dave Goodbrand of Barrie Police Service.

It was widely reported that the infant's body was found in a plastic bag in the trunk of a car.

The father was awarded interim custody and in October, a family court gave the mother the right to make three visits a week for three months. The visits were suspended after she was charged with first-degree murder.

Then, late last week, a CAS worker advised the surviving twin's father that the visitations were to resume with the child's grandmother present. Solnik, who represents the father in the custody battle, said he couldn't discuss the case because of a family court order. "My hands are tied," he said.

The father has serious concerns about the safety of his now 1-year-old son, said Solnik, especially in light of the recent infanticides of Serena Campione, 3, and her sister Sophia, 1, who were found dead in their Barrie apartment in October.

Frances Elaine Campione faces two counts of first-degree murder in that case.

Source: Toronto Star