TORONTO – The Superman logo will be able to adorn a memorial statue for Jeffrey Baldwin, a boy who was starved to death by his grandparents in 2002.
Todd Boyce, the Ottawa man who fundraised for the memorial, told Global News Wednesday that DC Entertainment had reversed a previous decision and will now let the statue designer use the Superman logo.
The company had originally said they didn’t want the logo being associated with child abuse.
DC Entertainment said in an emailed statement Wednesday they have a “flexible set of criteria” used for reviewing requests to use logos and after “veryifying the support of appropriate family members” they decided to reverse their original denial.
During the inquest into Baldwin’s death, Richard Baldwin – his father – testified the boy loved the superhero.
“He wanted to fly,” Baldwin said. “He tried jumping off the chair. We had to make him stop. He dressed up (as Superman) for Halloween one year. He was so excited. I have that picture at home hanging on my wall. He was our little man of steel.”
Boyce recruited Ontario artist Ruth Abernethy – best known for her bronze statue of Toronto’s Glenn Gould – to design the memorial statue.
Jeffrey’s grandparents were convicted in 2006 of the second-degree murder of Jeffrey. They had custody of the five year old and his three siblings after they were taken from their parents.
Read DC Entertainment’s full statement below:
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We are honored by the relationship that our fans have with our characters, and fully understand the magnitude of their passion.
We take each request seriously and our heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims, the family and those affected.
DC Entertainment uses a flexible set of criteria when we receive worthy requests such as this, and at times have reconsidered our initial stance.
After verifying the support of appropriate family members, DC Entertainment will be allowing the Jeffrey Baldwin Memorial Statue to feature the Superman S Shield.
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