Trial: Abuse Allegations Surface in Child's Death

In an Ontario court, Brandy Cooney testified in her murder trial, admitting to using harsh language towards the 12-year-old boy she and her wife were adopting. She described calling him a "moron" and "loser," and admitted to using zip-ties to restrain him in a wetsuit and locking him in his room. Cooney acknowledged the child's severe underweight condition, noting he weighed 48 pounds shortly before his death.

Cooney stated she performed CPR when she found the boy unresponsive, but he later died. She attributed the boy's behavioral challenges to past trauma and neglect, claiming a lack of adequate support from the Children's Aid Society. Despite admitting to online searches like "I hate my child," she asserted this was in search of parental support, not a reflection of her feelings toward the child himself.

She detailed the boys' struggles, including an eating disorder in the older boy's case, which she believed might aid in admission to a specialized clinic. Allegations of isolation, forced marching, and restricted bathroom access were contested by Cooney, who described confinement methods as therapeutic and aimed at safety and preventing self-harm.