The wife of a former RCMP officer is going to jail for her role in the torture of her stepson.
It’s a case that shocked horrified veteran police officers. The 38-year-old mother was sentenced to three years for her role in torturing and starving her young stepson. But, because of time already served in prison, she will actually spent 17 months in jail.
The woman, who was a senior federal bureaucrat, was found guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life and assault, with a wooden spoon. At her sentencing hearing last month, the woman told court that she was afraid of her husband's actions and lost her voice. Her stepson, who is now 14 years old, spent months in the family's basement, where he was beaten, shackled and starved. When he finally escaped, he weighed 50 pounds and had bruises and burns all over his body.
The Crown had asked for the maximum penalty for the woman of 5 years in jail.
The woman's lawyer had hoped for just time served.
Justice Robert Maranger chose the middle ground of 3 years in prison with a credit for that time she has already spent in jail. In addition, she is under a weapons ban for 10 years and will not be allowed to communicate with her son's family while she's in jail. The boy's father is back in court March 2nd.
