Parents found guilty in diabetic son’s death

A judge has ruled that the parents of a diabetic boy who died of starvation and lack of treatment are guilty of first-degree murder.

Justice Karen Horner said 15-year-old Alexandru’s painful death was completely avoidable, but Emil and Rodica Radita were in gross denial of his disease.

“Children in Canada rarely die from diabetes, but proper treatment requires due diligence,” Horner said Friday in a Calgary courtroom as she gave her verdict.

The Raditas were immediately sentenced to life in prison with no chance at parole for 25 years. They showed no emotion.

Horner said it appeared that Alex had received an insufficient level of care for “likely a number of years,” even though the Raditas were fully trained on how to look after him.

Alexandru, who was one of eight children, weighed less than 37 pounds when he died in 2013 of complications due to untreated diabetes and starvation.