🚨 Quebec Judge Rules Mother Not Criminally Responsible in Toddler Abandonment Case
A Quebec judge has ruled that the woman accused of abandoning her three-year-old daughter earlier this year is not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Justice Bertrand St-Arnaud delivered the decision Monday morning at the courthouse in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The accused, whose name is protected under a publication ban to safeguard the identity of her child, had faced charges of child abandonment and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
📌 Incident and Search
The case dates back to June 15, 2025, when the mother drove from Montreal with her daughter before leaving the toddler in a field in Ontario. Later that day, she reported her child missing after entering a store in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., about 50 kilometres west of Montreal. Employees described her as behaving erratically and saying she had lost her daughter.
A frantic, large-scale search began, spanning Quebec and Ontario. On June 18, a drone operated by the Ontario Provincial Police detected the child lying in a ditch along Highway 417 near St-Albert, Ont., roughly 150 kilometres from where she was last seen. The girl was dehydrated, soiled, and taken to hospital for care. Authorities later reported that she continues to experience nightmares and anxiety about being left alone.
📌 Court Proceedings
During the hearing, the Crown outlined how the mother’s confused and fragmented statements to police revealed her fragile mental state. Justice St-Arnaud acknowledged that the facts behind the charges were proven beyond reasonable doubt but agreed with the psychiatric evaluation that the woman’s condition left her incapable of recognizing her actions or understanding they were wrong at the time.
The verdict of not criminally responsible means the accused cannot be held legally accountable for her actions due to her mental disorder.
📌 Psychiatric Evaluation and Next Steps
The woman has been detained at the Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel in Montreal since June. Her lawyer, Olivier Béliveau, told the court that she had been living in distress and required urgent help.
A psychiatrist who evaluated her over a 60-day period testified that her mental health improved with medication but remains fragile. The doctor recommended continued hospitalization, with the possibility of supervised outings to prepare for eventual reintegration into society.
Justice St-Arnaud will now decide whether the woman remains hospitalized under psychiatric care or is released with conditions. His decision will determine the framework for her treatment and public safety considerations.
Source: CBC News
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