Woman accused of killing her 3 kids starves to death

[canadiantdi]

Should they have force fed her? Are they allowed? What she did was horrible, but was she mentally ill, and should that play into whether they force feed?

Sonia Blanchette, accused of killing her 3 children, starves to death

The Quebec woman charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children has died after refusing to eat.

Quebec mom charged with murder of children
Father of three slain Drummondville children speak out
Sonia Blanchette had been at Montreal's Sacré Coeur hospital since Dec. 19 and her weight had dropped to 80 pounds, according to Radio-Canada.

Correctional Service Canada had transferred Blanchette from the Tanguay detention centre in Montreal to the hospital in an effort to get her to eat.

Blanchette was accused of killing:

Laurélie, 5.
Loïc, 4.
Anaïs, 2.

The children were found at her residence in December 2012 in Drummondville, halfway between Montreal and Quebec City.

Deaths defied explanation, father says

A Quebec coroner said the two youngest children drowned, while the oldest child was killed by a combination of strangling and drowning.

Blanchette died at around 1:35 a.m. Friday, the same day she was scheduled to appear in court to set a trial date in the murder case. She had not been expected to appear in person due to her weak state.

René Verret, a spokesman for Quebec's Crown prosecutors, said the case would be closed as a result of her death.

"We were informed of the situation early this morning," Verret said.

Blanchette lost custody of her children early in 2012, and had been awarded visiting rights once every two weeks, to be supervised by the children's maternal grandmother.

Shortly after their deaths, Patrick Désautels, the father of the children, issued a statement saying that what happened "defies explanation."

On Friday, after learning Blanchette had died, Désautels​ said, "I have no pity. It doesn't bother me that she died."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...eath-1.2912343

[silverdoctor]

Maybe she punished herself... Wouldn't be a pleasant way to go.

http://io9.com/5941883/how-your-body...youre-starving

[CaberTosser]

If she killed her 3 kids I'd say its pretty obvious she was mentally ill. I've never bought into the diagnosis as being an excuse for committing any crime though. She should have offed herself first and saved everyone else the anguish of the loss of the kids.

[canadiantdi]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

If she killed her 3 kids I'd say its pretty obvious she was mentally ill. I've never bought into the diagnosis as being an excuse for committing any crime though. She should have offed herself first and saved everyone else the anguish of the loss of the kids.

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

[Dan4570]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

Probably, wouldnt hurt my feelings. The other Alternative;she would be integrated back into society after 5-10 years. Get married and pregnant again.

Any mother would could kill her own children........well im sure theres a special place for her.

[Sealclubber]

Good on her.

[gumby567]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

Maybe she punished herself... Wouldn't be a pleasant way to go.

http://io9.com/5941883/how-your-body...youre-starving

Sounds like a case of the punishment(self inflicted) actually coming close to matching the crime, something our justice system is incapable of delivering in a situation such as this.

[Redfrog]

"Blanchette lost custody of her children early in 2012, and had been awarded visiting rights once every two weeks, to be supervised by the children's maternal grandmother"

So the Grandmother watched the mother kill her kids? Obviously there was no supervision.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

If she killed her 3 kids I'd say its pretty obvious she was mentally ill. I've never bought into the diagnosis as being an excuse for committing any crime though. She should have offed herself first and saved everyone else the anguish of the loss of the kids.

harsh. I'd say the suicide pretty much confirms the mentally ill version of events.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Dan4570

Any mother would could kill her own children........well im sure theres a special place for her.

I'm sure she was already living there, hence the suicide.

[Ken07AOVette]

In other threads when we discuss similar circumstances, (that invariably have nothing at all to do with any of us) at some point a friend or 'relative' comes in and references all the harsh replies, there is name calling, hurt feelings and miserable people.

Want to turn the page or continue like normal?

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

In other threads when we discuss similar circumstances, (that invariably have nothing at all to do with any of us) at some point a friend or 'relative' comes in and references all the harsh replies, there is name calling, hurt feelings and miserable people.

Want to turn the page or continue like normal?

Sure. We can agree to disagree amiably Ken.

[243 wild cat]

As what the father said "I have no pity. It doesn't bother me that she died."

It bothers me that a sick in the mind person takes someone innocent before taking themselves out. Im sad for them kids i don't give a Dam about her!

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Sure. We can agree to disagree amiably Ken.

I admit I had to look that up

a·mi·a·ble (ā′mē-ə-bəl)
adj.
1. Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likable.
2. Cordial; sociable; congenial: an amiable gathering.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

Anyone who wishes to should be allowed to kill themselves, its their life after all. Anyone who killed three children should be allowed to as well as furnished their choice of means.

[nelsonob1]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I'm sure she was already living there, hence the suicide.

Anyone who harms their young children or as in this case murders them, are likely to be mentally ill themselves. I wonder if the system would have allowed her to die if she had not hurt her children? That she had just been a mentally ill mum instead of a mentally ill murderer?

Terribly sad all round. The kids, the mother, the rest of the family and friends. Probably the most prevailing memory for anyone close to it.

[billie]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I've never bought into the diagnosis as being an excuse for committing any crime though.

Genuine mental illness isn't an excuse, it's a reason. As far as someone using it as an excuse, that is another matter and I totally agree with you.

We have a long way to go in understanding the human brain. Some are just broken .

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

No one dropped the ball and the tax payers thank them.

[Wild&Free]

Originally Posted by billie

Genuine mental illness isn't an excuse, it's a reason. As far as someone using it as an excuse, that is another matter and I totally agree with you.

We have a long way to go in understanding the human brain. Some are just broken .

X2

[backpacker]

I agree with those that can't help feeling a small compasion towards this women. Mental illness is the only explanation as the maternal instinct obviously just wasn't in this lady. As mentioned, had she been depressed, she would have taken her own life or perhaps found another way to deal with her situation. To drown her 3 kids is beyond my understanding. I wish our health care system could find the funding to catch these people and help when able, although sometimes it just can't be solved. Sad outcome for all involved.

[fretman57]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

Trust me you cannot force someone to eat, for me anorexics have been some of the hardest clients I have ever worked with in fact I would have to ethically refuse to ever work with one again because I find it impossible to reconcile this self destructive behavior it is so irrational, they are not rational at all regarding their state of health.
Sounds to me like she decided she could not live with this anymore and this was her only option for a way out!
Prayers and love to that poor Dad, all alone without his three precious children, it must be hell for him! Was that her intent?

[fretman57]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

That being said, did someone drop the ball letting a "sick" person kill themselves?

Originally Posted by nelsonob1

Anyone who harms their young children or as in this case murders them, are likely to be mentally ill themselves. I wonder if the system would have allowed her to die if she had not hurt her children? That she had just been a mentally ill mum instead of a mentally ill murderer?

Terribly sad all round. The kids, the mother, the rest of the family and friends. Probably the most prevailing memory for anyone close to it.

What about the father first and foremost?

[FishingMOM]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

"Blanchette lost custody of her children early in 2012, and had been awarded visiting rights once every two weeks, to be supervised by the children's maternal grandmother"

So the Grandmother watched the mother kill her kids? Obviously there was no supervision.

I am wondering when the charges against the grandmother will be filed, or what they will be. As she is just as responsible.

[nelsonob1]

Originally Posted by FishingMOM

I am wondering when the charges against the grandmother will be filed, or what they will be. As she is just as responsible.

How exactly is failing to supervise someone a 100% the same as murdering three children?

What would those charges be?

[FishingMOM]

Originally Posted by nelsonob1

How exactly is failing to supervise someone a 100% the same as murdering three children?

What would those charges be?

Accessory to murder.

[canadiantdi]

Originally Posted by fretman57

Trust me you cannot force someone to eat

Don't they just put a tube down their throat to give them nutrition?

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

Don't they just put a tube down their throat to give them nutrition?

The hospitals ethics committee concluded that forcing her to eat would not be acceptable, good enough for me. There are limits to what the medical profession can do to unwilling citizens, and its entirely proper that such rules exist.