The mom of a three-year-old Montreal woman — who had been lacking for greater than 72 hours final month, earlier than being discovered alive on June 18 alongside a freeway in Ontario — is now charged with felony negligence inflicting bodily hurt, along with illegal abandonment of a kid.
The brand new cost got here because the 34-year-old was again in a Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courtroom on Thursday for a bail listening to.
She was initially charged with illegal abandonment of a kid on June 16, a day after the little woman had been final seen. She is dealing with a most sentence of 5 years if convicted of that cost.
The bail listening to occurred on Thursday morning and opened with the testimony of a Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officer.
A publication ban prevents the identification of the kid and mom publicly. It additionally means not one of the proof offered in courtroom may be reported on.
The mom was visibly upset and overwhelmed whereas listening to the officer’s testimony. She audibly broke down when the officer spoke about a few of the proof, and doubled over in tears earlier than being handed a field of tissues.
The mom was handcuffed, carrying a white shirt, her hair tied again in a braid – showing distraught for a lot of the listening to. She generally frowned and seemed confused at instances.
After greater than two weeks behind bars, the accused is in search of to be launched pending trial. The Crown opposes this request.
Crown prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel on the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse on July 3, 2025. (Martin Daigle, CityNews)
Lili Prévost-Gravel is the Crown prosecutor within the case, whereas Olivier Béliveau defends the accused.
The SQ started their seek for the woman after the accused appeared in a confused state at a enterprise in Coteau-du-Lac, Montérégie, saying that she had misplaced her daughter on June 15.
After an intense police search, the woman was discovered three days later close to a ditch alongside Freeway 417 in Ontario close to the exit to the city of St. Albert after being noticed by an Ontario Provincial Police drone.
