12-Year-Old Gets 3-Year Sentence for Attempted Murder

A 12-year-old boy from Lethbridge, Alberta, was sentenced to three years, the maximum allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, for attempting to kill his seven-year-old brother. The sentence, known as intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision (IRCS), is reserved for violent offenders with significant mental health issues.

During the first two years of his sentence, the boy will be in secure custody, where he will receive treatment for recently diagnosed, unaddressed mental health conditions. The final year will be spent under community supervision with specific conditions. The court heard the boy pleaded guilty in December to attempted murder following the August 2025 attack.

He admitted to stabbing his younger brother nine times, reportedly acting on an uncontrollable urge and voices he heard. The seven-year-old sustained critical, life-threatening injuries to his face, hand, arm, and back, including wounds to his brain, heart, and chest. The older brother expressed remorse, and his progress will be monitored by the IRCS treatment team.