Kitchener woman granted absolute discharge in murder of infant son
Posted Apr 27, 2026 05:48:46 AM.
Last Updated Apr 27, 2026 05:48:52 AM.
CONTENT WARNING: The content in this article may be distressing for some people. Please read with caution.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The name of the person in this article has been omitted because she was found not criminally responsible.
A Kitchener woman has been granted an absolute discharge following the second-degree murder of her infant son in 2020.
The incident took place on Aug. 9 at a home in Kitchener when the woman, who was experiencing a psychotic episode and auditory hallucinations, stabbed her infant son multiple times, resulting in his death.
She was arrested, but found not criminally responsible “on account of mental disorder” in April 2021.
“At the time of her arrest, she was highly psychotic, experiencing command auditory hallucinations commanding her to sacrifice her child,” a report reads.
Court documents released in April of this year show that the woman had a long history with mental health issues and substance abuse dating back to her youth, including being admitted to hospital in 2012.
Her current diagnoses include schizoaffective disorder, a chronic mental health condition that can lead to hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania. Since 2023, the woman has been living with her mother in Kitchener and receiving care from a forensic psychologist.
A panel of the Ontario Review Board convened in March to determine whether the woman continued to represent a significant threat to public safety.
At the hearing, the board noted that the woman had gained insight into the fact that she would need to take medication for the rest of her life and would abstain from the use of substances. The board added that she has “no violent ideation or significant behavioural instability.”
As a result of the hearing, she was granted an absolute discharge, meaning she has been found guilty with no penalty or fine, resulting in no criminal record.
The board went on to congratulate the woman on her dedication to her well-being and wished her success in the future.
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