Quebec mom found not criminally responsible for abandoning child to stay detained

A 34-year-old woman found not criminally responsible after abandoning her toddler in a rural field will remain detained at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.

Quebec court Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud delivered his decision at the Valleyfield, Que., courthouse, saying that despite her improving mental health she still poses a risk to the public.

On Monday St-Arnaud determined the woman was not criminally responsible for her actions because she was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the crime.

The woman reported her daughter missing in Montreal on June 15 and the child was found by police three days later in a field by Highway 417, near the town of St. Albert, Ont.

Trending Now

Crown prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel argued for the woman to stay detained in hospital and eventually be allowed outings with or without supervision.

Justin Chenel, the woman’s lawyer, wanted her to be released under certain conditions, citing her exemplary commitment to her recovery.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2025.