Mentally Ill Manitoba Mom Kills Infant Son, Ruled Not Criminally Responsible

In a heartbreaking case, a 27-year-old Manitoba woman has been found not criminally responsible for the stabbing death of her infant son last year. The woman, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, was charged with second-degree murder after her son was found dead in a home run by child welfare authorities in Wasagamack First Nation in February 2024.

Court heard that the mother of five was in the throes of psychosis when she killed her baby, believing that Child and Family Services was "holding her family hostage" and feared they wanted to take her children and abuse them. "She stated that her baby did not deserve that, but she wanted to put his life in God's hands in heaven," said the Crown attorney. The woman has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is receiving treatment, but is experiencing significant guilt and remorse, and has even had suicidal thoughts.

In the days leading up to the tragedy, the woman had repeatedly sought help from medical professionals, but was unable to secure a treatment bed outside her remote community. A Medevac was even sent to transport her, but no beds were available. Tragically, the next morning, the woman's other children found her having killed her infant son. The case has raised questions about the gaps in the mental health system that failed to provide the necessary support for this vulnerable mother.