Driver who crashed bus into Laval daycare 'stole our innocent child,' mother tells court

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Montreal·New

Marie-Christine Cloutier and different members of families affected by the onslaught work victim-impact statements successful a courtroom successful Laval, Que., days aft a Superior Court justice recovered the accused, Pierre Ny St-Amand, not criminally liable for what helium did.

Pierre Ny St-Amand recovered not criminally liable for clang that killed 2 kids, injured 6 more

Sidhartha Banerjee · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 01, 2025 2:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

A pistillate successful wintertime covering places a bouquet of reddish flowers among worldly animals successful a snowbank.

The parent of a four-year-old lad killed erstwhile a metropolis autobus plowed into a Montreal-area daycare successful 2023 told a courtroom connected Thursday however aggravated she is astatine the accused for "breaking" her family.

"He stole our guiltless kid who lone wanted to play with his friends and his sister," said Marie-Christine Cloutier astir the antheral connected proceedings for sidesplitting her lad Jacob and a five-year-old girl, and injuring six different children connected Feb. 8, 2023.

Cloutier and different members of families affected by the onslaught work victim-impact statements successful a courtroom successful Montreal's bluish suburb of Laval, Que., days aft a Superior Court justice recovered the accused — 53-year-old erstwhile metropolis autobus operator Pierre Ny St-Amand — not criminally liable for what helium did.

"I americium truthful aggravated with him for dragging america into this whirlwind we didn't choose, for breaking us," Cloutier told the courtroom done a video stream.

On Tuesday, Justice Éric Downs accepted the associated decision from the Crown and the defence that Ny St-Amand was incapable to discern close from incorrect astatine the clip of the fatal crash. Psychiatrists for the Crown and the defence had some concluded Ny St-Amand was apt experiencing psychosis erstwhile helium drove the autobus into the daycare, sidesplitting Jacob and a five-year-old miss named Maeva, whose household sanction is covered by a work prohibition astatine the petition of her parents.

Downs's ruling came arsenic acold comfortableness to immoderate successful the courtroom connected Thursday.

In a connection work into the record, Maeva's mother, who wasn't contiguous successful court, said the nonaccomplishment of her small miss has profoundly shaken the family, adding that it has been hard to explicate to her 2 different children however to unrecorded with this trauma.

"They can't recognize wherefore the idiosyncratic who turned our lives upside down isn't criminally responsible," she wrote.

WATCH | What parents said earlier this week aft accused recovered not criminally responsible:

Parents affectional arsenic autobus operator successful Laval, Que., daycare clang recovered not criminally responsible

Some parents of children who were contiguous erstwhile a autobus crashed into a daycare successful 2023 accidental determination has been ‘no justice’ aft a Quebec Superior Court justice declared the operator of the autobus not criminally liable for his actions.

Maeva's begetter spoke astir however his youngest kid had conscionable celebrated her 5th day connected Feb. 1. He described her arsenic "creative, focused, meticulous, playful."

On 1 of her last mornings with the family, Maeva asked to beryllium filmed down a tiny barroom topped with a candle. She closed her eyes and said, "I privation that the full household remains together," her begetter told the court.

He said she past blew retired the candle, opened her eyes, and smiled hopefully. "Some wishes are lost," helium said.

Cloutier said she volition ne'er get an reply arsenic to wherefore her kid was taken from her.

"At 36, we're not expected to hole our child's funeral," she said.

While the statements were work successful a courtroom heavy with tears and emotion, Ny St-Amand sat impassively successful the prisoner's box.

Prosecutors person said they program to reason that Ny St-Amand should beryllium declared a high-risk accused, a designation that would enforce stricter rules connected him and necessitate immoderate determination taken by the provincial intelligence wellness tribunal to beryllium confirmed by the Superior Court.

Ny St-Amand's lawyers person announced they volition situation the Crown's position.

WATCH | What does it mean erstwhile idiosyncratic is recovered not criminally responsible?:

What does it mean erstwhile idiosyncratic is recovered not criminally liable successful a trial?

The defence squad successful the proceedings of Jeremy Skibicki are arguing successful a Winnipeg courtroom this week that helium should beryllium recovered not criminally responsible. But what does that mean and what are the consequences for the accused? CBC newsman Caitlyn Gowriluk explains.