Woman accused in deaths of 3 children sobs during preliminary inquiry

The preliminary inquiry for a woman accused in the deaths of three infant children began Tuesday at the St-Jérôme courthouse.

The woman is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, alleged to have been committed between 2014 and 2017. She was arrested in November 2017.

She is also charged with failing to provide the necessities of life, endangering the morals of a child, neglect in childbirth and concealing a dead body.

The woman’s name is under a publication ban to protect the identity of her remaining child.

Five witnesses will appear before the court over three days as part of the preliminary inquiry process.

The lead police investigator in the case and a man who was close to the accused testified Tuesday.

The accused was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs. She stared at the ground, trembling and sobbing as the prosecution outlined some of the evidence against her.

Her lawyer handed her a handful of tissues and a cup of water.

The accused’s mother was in the room at the start of the inquiry but was asked to leave.

Because the case is not yet at trial, any witness testimony or evidence brought before the court cannot be reported.

Three expert witnesses will testify in court Wednesday and Thursday, after which Quebec Superior Court Judge Marc-André Dagenais will decide if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Prosecutor Caroline Lafleur noted that, should the case go to trial, the Crown will call more than five witnesses to testify.