Systemic Failures Under Fire as Cooney-Hamber Murder Trial Resumes

As the first-degree murder trial of Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber continues in Milton, the focus has shifted from the defendants to the institutional failures of the Children’s Aid Society (CAS). Ontario’s former child advocate, Irwin Elman, has publicly slammed the CAS’s handling of the case, labeling their oversight “outrageous” and a total collapse of child protection.

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A Timeline of Ignored Warnings

Despite the boy’s death occurring in 2021, testimony has revealed that the “safety net” designed to protect him and his brother failed repeatedly starting as early as 2019:

• Professional Alerts: Teachers and medical professionals filed multiple reports regarding the boys’ visible weight loss and signs of distress.
• Known Restraints: CAS workers were aware that the couple used zip-ties and “tenting” structures to confine the children. These were documented but never halted by the agency.
• Compromised Interviews: Workers reportedly failed to follow basic safety protocols, such as interviewing the children alone. The boys were always in the presence of their foster parents, making it impossible for them to speak freely about abuse.

The “Shield of Secrecy”

Irwin Elman is using the restart of this trial to highlight a major gap in the justice system. Because the CAS itself is not a defendant, the individual caseworkers and managers responsible for the boys’ “care” have not been forced to testify in open court.

Elman argues that the lack of a mandatory coroner’s inquest prevents the public from seeing the internal CAS files that would explain why the children were left in the home despite mounting evidence of starvation and confinement.

Trial Outlook: January 2026

The trial is now entering its final phase. The prosecution’s case rests on the argument that the 12-year-old boy was essentially starved to death in a home that functioned more like a prison.

The Defense’s Stance:

• Becky Hamber is expected to take the stand to conclude the defense.
• The couple has consistently blamed the CAS for “failing to provide support” and argued that the boy’s death was the result of a pre-existing eating disorder rather than intentional neglect.

“It is unbelievable that a child can die in the care of the state while every alarm bell in the system was ringing.” — Irwin Elman, Former Ontario Child Advocate