The woman who allegedly abandoned her newborn on a sidewalk after giving birth to him will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if she is fit to face justice.
His psychiatric state will also be a determining factor for the continuation of the procedures.
If she is deemed fit to stand trial, it will still be necessary to consider, at a certain point, her criminal responsibility.
says criminal lawyer Fernando Belton.
He adds that justice must also take into account the intentions of the accused. She is accused of not having provided necessary elements to a person for whom she was responsible, but did she understand? […] If it is judged that she did not have criminal responsibility at the time of the facts, the case will be referred to the Mental Disorders Review Commission
mentions Me Belton.
Since the events, the woman who allegedly abandoned her baby has been detained at the Leclerc women’s prison in Laval.
Given her condition, her lawyer, however, requested that she be transferred to the psychiatry unit of the Mental Health Accommodation Center of Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec, formerly called the Sainte-Thérèse hospital, in Shawinigan.
The defense lawyer also specified that the woman is experiencing mental health problems and that she must take medication by injection.
Other charges could be laid against the woman, according to the Crown lawyer.
At the time of writing, the state of health of the infant, who was transferred to a Montreal hospital, remains unknown.
Canada
