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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Mother who killed toddler sent to jail

By: Mike McIntyre

26/06/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 7

A northern Manitoba woman who killed her 23-month-old daughter while the family was under the watch of Child and Family Services has received a three-year prison term.

The mother had been seeking a conditional sentence that would allow her to remain free in the community. But Queen's Bench Justice Perry Schulman ruled this week in Thompson that she must be imprisoned.

The toddler died of blunt-force trauma to the chest in Cross Lake in November 2003. The mother was charged with manslaughter following an RCMP investigation and the case has dragged through the legal system ever since.

The 29-year-old mother was found guilty following a trial in Thompson, but her sentencing was delayed until last week while a pre-sentence report was completed.

Prosecutor Brian Bell told court the mother committed the ultimate breach of trust when she physically abused her child, striking such a forceful blow that it stopped the little girl's heart. There was also evidence of bruising and trauma to her head, he said.

The toddler who died was the second-youngest of five children of the mother and her spouse, according to family members. CFS had an open file on the family and had returned the children to their parents from foster care in September 2003. They moved into a new home weeks later.

Defence lawyer Gregory Bauman said CFS was supposed to have provided some home-based assistance to his client but never followed through. He said the mother had grown up in an "extremely dysfunctional" environment that included witnessing alcohol and physical abuse.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 26, 2009 A9

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7 Commentscomment icon

My heart goes out to the family. Their are some bad cfs workers out there but many of us do our job and care for our clients, not surprised we get the blame again.

Yet another slap on the wrist....what would have happened if this child was older or even an adult?

DBeers - that is awesome that your daughter has turned out so well and kudos to you. Unfortunately, yours is one in hundreds of thousands that are raised by a single parent who turns out well. In our day and age to attempt to raise a good, normal and healthy child it normally does require the characteristics Pressreader listed. Consider yourself blessed.

In response to "Pressreader" Yes, i agree you must have love and patients and an income to raise a child, i certainly disagree with the "Two loving parents" Crap! I have been raising my daughter now for 14 years on my own now, and i haven't done too badly. I was abused too as a child, but using that is only an excuse. My daughter is happy go lucky, and fun to be with. I think that it takes a lot of understanding eachother and communication with eachother to live in this world and raise our children to be good people. Dont let anyone use the "i was abused as a child" excuse. That is a very poor excuse, and discusting that some people actually use that.

"...the mother had grown up in an "extremely dysfunctional" environment that included witnessing alcohol and physical abuse". Too bad, so sad - why is this always used as a 'defence'? So many other people are victims of the same lifestyle and they don't go abusing/killing their children. And receiving three years for taking someone's life?? I have no words. Absolutely disgusting.

I believe you must have the patience, love, an income, two loving parents, and a safe home to raise a child. If you don't, then you should think twice about bringing another human being into this world.

only 3 years for killing a baby...disgusting.

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