WARNING: This article contains allegations of child abuse.
An expert child and family therapist recommended serving smoothies and possibly bottle feeding as methods to assist two boys in coping with trauma, but she did not advise the prospective adoptive parents to consistently feed the boys pureed food.
The issue of what Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber fed the two Indigenous brothers under their care has been a focal point in their ongoing first-degree murder trial.
Referred to as L.L. and J.L. for anonymity in CBC’s coverage of the trial, the boys were under the care of Hamber and Cooney when L.L. tragically passed away on Dec. 21, 2022, at the age of 12.
The women from Burlington, Ontario, have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in connection with L.L.’s death, along with charges of confinement, assault with a weapon, specifically zip ties, and failure to provide the necessaries of life to J.L.
During the trial, Terra Bovingdon was called by the Crown to testify about her work with Cooney, Hamber, and the boys from 2018 to 2019. She is one of several mental health professionals who have provided testimony.
Bovingdon described her approach as helping families understand the brain’s functions, reasons behind behaviors, and methods for emotional regulation, utilizing techniques like play and repetition.
She emphasized that traditional disciplinary methods, such as sending children to their rooms, could be harmful for kids who have experienced trauma, advocating instead for rhythmic and repetitive activities like biking, trampolining, or coloring to soothe them.
J.L. testified previously that during his five-year stay with the couple, he was confined to his room more than 90% of the time and fed only pureed food. The defense claims they adopted this feeding practice based on Bovingdon’s advice.
Bovingdon disclosed that she advised the women to engage with the boys at a younger emotional level for short intervals multiple times a day, recommending activities like playing hide and seek or watching kids’ shows to connect with them. She emphasized that any caregiving actions should be mutually agreed upon by the child and parent.
Under questioning from Crown prosecutor Monica MacKenzie, Bovingdon clarified that she did not propose treating the boys like toddlers continuously or subjecting them to prolonged stair climbing sessions, as alleged by the Crown.