Teen pleads guilty to killing 6-week-old Nikosis Cantre in Saskatoon
16-year-old had walked away from open custody and met the baby's family, who invited her into their home
A 16-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of a six-week-old baby in Saskatoon.
Last July, the teen — who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act — walked away from open custody at Kilburn Hall, a youth detention facility in Saskatoon. She was serving a ten-month sentence for a range of offences, including assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.
She then met the family of six-week-old Nikosis Cantre, and they invited her into their home. The family, who had never met the teen before, took her in because they thought she had nowhere to go.
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The teen entered her plea during a court appearance this morning. Outside the Saskatoon courthouse, an angry group of family members and supporters gathered to express their anger.
"I would just ask her, 'Why did you do it?" said the infant's grandfather, Jeffrey Longman. "Why would you do such a horrible thing to such an innocent child?"
The baby died of blunt force trauma to the head. Family members said the incident happened while they were sleeping.
"He couldn't even fight back," Longman said. "He couldn't yell for help."
The family has been dealt a devastating blow, Longman said.
"You wake up every day in pain," he said. "I've got no words that explain how I feel. He was just a baby. He was six weeks old. We had just brought him into our home."
The teen underwent a 30-day psychological assessment at the North Battleford, Sask. psychiatric hospital.
Crown prosecutors said they are seeking to have her sentenced as an adult.
The teen is due back in court on Nov. 10.