A teenaged girl who abandoned her newborn baby in a wooded area north of Montreal has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
She made the plea Wednesday in a provincial court in St-Jérome.
The girl was originally charged with second-degree murder and criminal negligence after the newborn boy was found dead of hypothermia in a wooded area on the outskirts of Sainte-Sophie, a small Laurentians town.
The teen gave birth last November in her parents house and left the baby in the woods before going to the hospital, where she expelled the placenta.
Police officers were sent to the hospital and the girl gave them directions to find the baby, but the baby was dead by the time he was found.
An autopsy concluded he was born alive and had strong vital signs before succumbing to the cold.
The Crown said it would have a hard time proving the teen acted with the intention of killing the baby, saying she likely panicked and wasn't fully aware of the consequences of her actions.
The teen is scheduled to return to court April 14 for sentencing.
The teen cannot be named because she's a minor.
With files from the Canadian PressRelated
MORE MONTREAL HEADLINES »
- $620M for Quebec manufacturers hit by loonie rise
- Quebec's Liberal government has announced a $620 million aid package for the province's bruised manufacturing sector.
- Quebec police look into rookie butt-slapping ritual
- A time-honoured Quebec police rookie initiation rite that starts with booze and ends with a firm slap on the derrière is the focus of a criminal investigation following hazing complaints.
- Vanek lifts Sabres over Canadiens
- Thomas Vanek scored a power-play goal with less than nine minutes remaining in the third period to give the Buffalo Sabres a 4-2 home win over the Montreal Canadiens Friday night.
- Montreal doctor exploring link between football and ALS
- A researcher in Montreal is exploring a possible link between the sport of football and the deadly Lou Gehrig's disease.
- Surprised by reactions, cardinal insists apology was an 'act of peace'
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet says he was a bit stunned by the negative reaction to his public apology for the church's past errors, but he is standing by his mea culpa.
Canada Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window
