Underage knife-assault suspect released
13-year-old girl accused of assaulting worker at Fredericton group home was returned to the facility Friday, but social workers plan to move her to dedicated residence
The Crown has withdrawn its objection to the release of a 13-year-old girl accused of assaulting a member of the staff at her Fredericton group home.
The teenager was charged May 2 with assaulting a female staff member of the group home with a knife, attempting to steal that group-home worker’s car and damaging a window at the facility, all alleged to have occurred the day before.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits the publication of any information that would tend to identify underage defendants. As such, the Fredericton Independent isn’t identifying the group home in question or the complainant so as to protect the 13-year-old’s identity.
The prosecution objected to the girl’s release Tuesday, and her bail hearing was set over to Friday. But at that time, prosecutor Rodney Jordan said the Crown had changed its position.
“The Crown believes there is now a sufficient plan in place that the Crown can now remove its objection to release,” he said.
The prosecutor said among the conditions of her release order should be that she returns to reside at the same group home and follow its written rules.
“I just want to be clear - that’s where she’ll be residing for now,” he said.
The girl is a ward of the province, in the care of the Department of Social Development.
Jordan said while the girl will return to the group home for now, social workers are arranging to secure a new residence for the girl - a home in which she’d be the only child resident, with a staff tending to her care and hers alone.
He said it would likely take a few months to get that new, dedicated home secured and set up.
The child agreed to follow the conditions as outlined by the prosecutor.
Youth court Judge Cameron Gunn told her that the rules she must follow aren’t just those of the group home, but of the court, and there can be more serious consequences for disobeying a court order.
The judge set the case over to May 24 for pleas.
Gunn urged the young defendant to apply for legal aid in the meantime.
“You’re 13 years old and you’re in a serious situation, and I want to make sure you’re making the right decisions,” he told her.
The teen told the court she planned on seeking counsel as suggested.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
So she is returning to same home every thing has happened and same staff,very smart move lol haha
I can’t believe Social services, I once reported a Mother & Father for not educating there children, the oldest boy was 13, the next boy was 10 , & the girl was 8. I had the 3 of them and other children over for my sons birthday party. I had a treasure hunt where they all had to solve riddles and move to the next station. This is where I found out that none of them could read or write. When I questioned the children they told me that the mother had chores for them and then she read the Bible to them, this is when I contacted Social services and reported what I found. I told them that they should just drop in as the parents knew when they made an appointment that they brought out other books and things to fool social services. I found out later that social services contacted them again to make a appointment, what a bunch of doe heads……