A young boy, who was beaten to death by his mother, was comforting his loved ones when they visited him in hospital months before his death, relatives have revealed.
Oliver McCarthy, 22 months old, was found dead on the living room floor of his home in Ontario, Canada, on January 15, 2020.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers reported that signs of rigor mortis had already appeared when they arrived at the scene, reported CTV News.
An autopsy report determined that the boy died from blunt force trauma and an intestinal perforation, and noted that there were other injuries to his bowl that indicated prior trauma.
While the boy’s mother, Nadine Melvaer, and her boyfriend, Tyler Campbell, were convicted in his death, McCarthy’s family said there was a history of abuse that officials overlooked.
In November 2019, the boy was taken to North Bay Regional Health Center and then Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa for bruising on his body, according to court documents obtained by CTV News.
The boy’s aunt told the news outlet that when she visited the boy in the hospital, he tried to comfort her.
“We went to visit him and he would grab my hair and keep brushing the side of my face like that,” Jen McCarthy said.
Oliver McCarthy, 22 months old, was found dead on the living room floor of his home in Ontario, Canada, on January 15, 2020.
The boy’s mother, Nadine Melvaer (pictured), and her boyfriend, Tyler Campbell, have been convicted of his death.
The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) Nipissing reportedly opened a child abuse investigation when doctors informed them that McCarthy had suffered two fractured ribs consistent with blunt force trauma or compression.
While authorities completed their investigation, they allowed the boy to live with his mother and maternal grandparents, as long as he had no contact with Melvaer’s boyfriend.
However, the McCarthy family said CAS knew the agreement was not being followed but did not notify police.
“At the joint presentation, two different workers noticed that Oliver wasn’t feeling well and they just left him there,” Jen McCarthy said.
CAS told CTV News it cannot comment on specific cases, but called the death of a child “an immeasurable tragedy.”
‘We recognize the seriousness of this loss and its impact on everyone involved. Due to a legal obligation around confidentiality, the Society is not in a position to comment at this time,” said CAS Executive Director Nancy Lafrance Rich.
Melvaer and Campbell were arrested in spring 2021 for their role in her death, and in April of this year they both pleaded guilty.
Melvaer was sentenced to six and a half years for involuntary manslaughter and Campbell is serving three years less time served, followed by three years of probation for the charge of failing to provide the necessities of life.
McCarthy’s family said there was a history of abuse that officials overlooked.
The Nipissing Children’s Aid Society (CAS) reportedly opened a child abuse case after the boy was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (pictured) for bruising on his body.
The boy’s maternal grandparents have also been charged with failing to provide basic needs and have a court date scheduled for December 13.
“For something that might seem like a little bit of closure and accountability, that didn’t happen,” Jen McCarthy said.
“At the end of the day, in the time we’ve been through, it’s been almost five years since Oliver passed away.”