Quebec woman charged after allegedly abandoning newborn outside
Trois-Rivières police confirmed they received a call shortly after 3 p.m. on Jan. 1 about a woman who had just given birth on the street downtown.
A 38-year-old woman has been charged after allegedly abandoning her newborn shortly after giving birth outdoors in Trois-Rivières on New Year’s Day.
The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban to safeguard the infant, appeared in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday morning after being charged with failing to provide the necessities of life to her baby.
Trois-Rivières police confirmed they received a call around 3 p.m. on January 1 about a woman who had just given birth on a downtown street. When officers arrived, the baby was being cared for by witnesses who had stopped to help. The mother was found a few blocks away, and both she and the child were taken to a hospital. Police emphasized that the well-being of the mother and baby was a top priority.
The baby, who was briefly exposed to the cold, is under observation at Sainte-Justine, a children’s hospital in Montreal. The woman is currently being held at the Leclerc detention centre in Laval.
Karine Dahan, executive director of Centre Le Havre, noted that the woman was well-known to local homeless service organizations. Dahan explained that the woman had stayed at the shelter until New Year’s Eve and had complained of abdominal pains but did not realize she was pregnant.
“This isn’t just the story of a homeless woman who gave birth in the street and abandoned her baby,” Dahan said. “To abandon a baby, you first have to be aware of your pregnancy and maternity and decide you don’t want it. She did not know she was pregnant, so I can only imagine how surprised—no, shocked—she must have been to unexpectedly give birth.”
Dahan added that poverty and vulnerability played a role in the woman’s case. She highlighted that many women carry pregnancies unknowingly and experience severe trauma upon unexpectedly giving birth. She also pointed out the lack of specialized resources to assist isolated women during pregnancy in Trois-Rivières, unlike in larger cities such as Montreal.
The Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec health authority, while unable to comment on the health of the mother or infant due to privacy concerns, stated that such situations, though rare, are very distressing. The authority also reminded the public of the resources available to support vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women and parents struggling to care for children.
Lawyers representing the woman requested a psychiatric evaluation to assess her criminal responsibility and suggested that she be transferred to the Sainte-Thérèse mental health center in Shawinigan. She is scheduled to return to court on February 4, and the release hearing originally set for Tuesday has been postponed. Further charges may be filed.
