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October 25, 2019 - 3:30 PM
ST-JEROME, Que. - A Quebec woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison in connection with the deaths of three newborn babies.
The woman, whose name is protected by a publication ban, was sentenced today under a joint recommendation made by the defence and prosecution.
With time served, she will have about five years left to serve.
The woman from Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, northwest of Montreal, showed up at a hospital seeking treatment under questionable circumstances and denying she'd given birth.
Police later found the body of a newborn, and a subsequent search of her home uncovered the bodies of two other newborns.
The woman was initially charged with three counts of murder, but the Crown said reduced charges better reflected the evidence presented at her preliminary hearing.
She pleaded guilty in July to one count of manslaughter, two counts of concealing the bodies of infants with the intention of hiding the fact she'd given birth and one count of engaging in acts that corrupted the morals of a child or made the home unfit for a child’s presence.
The accused cannot be named to protect the identity of a fourth child who is still alive.
Quebec provincial police said at the time of her arrest that hospital officials called police on Oct. 15, 2017, when the woman showed up seeking medical treatment.
Their suspicions sent police to her home the following day, where they discovered the bodies of three newborns from different pregnancies.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2019.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019