CCAS link in several deaths

By VIVIAN SONG, TORONTO SUN




The death of Jeffrey Baldwin isn't the only high-profile case that has
involved the Catholic Children's Aid Society.

- The CCAS placed foster children in the care of Paul Blackwell, 64,
who last month admitted to sexually abusing two wards of the CCAS
between 1977 and 1992.

- In 1997, Jordan Heikamp, 5 weeks old, was left to starve to death.
Heikamp slowly wasted away to skin and bones in a women's shelter
while under the CCAS's watch, and died at 4 pounds, 2 ounces -- 4
ounces less than his birth weight.

- Afua Boateng, 4, was killed by her schizophrenic mother the day
after a neighbour pleaded with CCAS to remove the child.

Rosina Boateng was found not criminally responsible for the 1995 death
because of her mental disorder.

47 INJURIES

Afua suffered 47 injuries, which drained all the blood from her heart
and killed her. The mother -- who believed her child was possessed by
the devil -- cut her daughter's wrists and put hot pepper in the
child's eyes.

Agency workers decided Afua showed no signs of any type of violence or
injury.

- In 1994, Sara Podniewicz, 6 months old, was killed by her
crack-addicted mother Lisa Olsen, who, six years earlier, had pleaded
guilty to aggravated assault and endangering the life of her
10-week-old son Mikey in 1988. Sara suffered 24 broken bones,
including 16 ribs, which led to fatal pneumonia. The CCAS had the
legal responsibility to protect her. Olsen, and Sara's father Michael
Podniewicz were found guilty of murdering the infant.
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