Montreal mother who allegedly abandoned three-year-old daughter testifies at final session of bail hearing
Posted July 4, 2025 10:12 am.
Last Updated July 4, 2025 5:52 pm.
The Montreal mother accused of abandoned her daughter, who was found alive on June 18 along a highway in Ontario, testified at her bail hearing in the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courtroom Friday.
The 34-year-old woman, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban that protects the identity of herself and her daughter, walked into court handcuffed, wearing a grey sweatshirt with her hair tied back. Her testimony lasted for around an hour as she was questioned by both the defence and Crown attorneys. She broke into tears at times and was handed a box of issues.
The publication ban also prevents media from publishing or sharing details from the bail hearing in order to guarantee the accused a fair trial.
The mother was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm Thursday, in addition to the charge of unlawful abandonment of a child that was assigned to her June 16.
The maximum sentence for criminal negligence causing bodily harm is ten years, while the full penalty for the unlawful abandonment of a child is five years if convicted.
According to Crown prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel, a psychological assessment can only be granted after the court has decided whether to grant bail to the accused.
“The Criminal Code permits the judge, the accused or the crown prosecutor to ask for that kind of evaluation at any stage of the proceeding,” she said. “But before deciding to do so, we have to decide if the accused can be released.”
The Crown remains opposed to the release of the mother, Prévost-Gravel said.
Friday marked the second day the court heard the evidence from the investigation. The day before, police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) testified.
SQ officers were tasked with searching for the three-year-old girl on June 15, sparking a massive police operation that went on for over 72 hours after the accused walked into a business on in Coteau-du-Lac, Montérégie, saying that she had lost her daughter.
The young girl was found three days later on the side of Highway 417 in Ontario near the exit to the town of St. Albert by an Ontario Provincial Police drone.
According to Quebec Court Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud, the decision on whether the accused will be granted bail will be determined on July 11.
