Mother of Quebec toddler found earlier this week 'needs help,' lawyer says

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 12:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The lawyer for the parent of a three-year-old miss who was recovered earlier this week unsocial successful an Ontario tract said Friday that his lawsuit is unwell. 

The parent appeared successful tribunal concisely portion lawyers acceptable a caller day for her bail proceeding and a justice authorized a work prohibition connected the case. 

"We person a idiosyncratic present who is surviving with immense distress. This is idiosyncratic who needs help," said Olivier Béliveau, the lawyer. 

The parent cannot beryllium named owed to a work prohibition that present protects the individuality of her daughter, the three-year-old who went missing past Sunday and was recovered 3 days aboriginal aft an intensive search. 

The parent was "extremely relieved" erstwhile quality reached her that her girl was safe, Béliveau said. 

She has been charged with kid abandonment, which carries a maximum imaginable condemnation of 5 years successful prison.

Defence lawyers mean to contiguous a bail program for the parent that would spot her person "support and get her help," Béliveau added. He said the defence was not seeking a psychiatric evaluation, for now.

Lili Prévost-Gravel, the Crown prosecutor, said the prosecution remains opposed to the mother's merchandise connected the grounds that it is not successful the nationalist interest.

"She tin person attraction successful the infirmary of the detention centre. That's a close she has arsenic an inmate," Prévost-Gravel said. 

Prosecutors were continuing to analyse the evidence, she said. More charges could beryllium brought against the parent successful the future. 

The toddler was recovered connected Wednesday when an Ontario Provincial Police drone spotted her by the broadside of Highway 417, adjacent St-Albert, Ont., astir 150 kilometres westbound of Montreal.

It was the best-case-scenario extremity to a four-day hunt that had included up to 200 officers and trained volunteers, constabulary connected horseback, a chopper and ATVs.

The miss had past been seen successful Montreal's LaSalle borough connected Sunday morning. 

Her parent reported her missing a fewer hours aboriginal astatine a store successful Coteau-du-Lac, astir 50 kilometres westbound of Montreal. 

The lawsuit volition instrumentality to tribunal successful July for a bail hearing.