(Trois-Rivières) The trial of the mother-in-law of the Granby girl was delayed on Monday because of a technical problem. The much-awaited testimony of the accused’s son, which is to take place by videoconference, could not be broadcast in the courtroom where the 14 jurors are located.
The teenager, who was present when the girl was found unconscious in April 2019, was scheduled to tell his side of the story. To avoid being face to face with his mother, he had to answer lawyers’ questions from a different room at the Trois-Rivières courthouse.
However, the sound and the image of his story did not reach the court room at the same time. The Ministry of Justice’s Audiovisual and Electronic Resources Service tried to resolve the issue all day. A technician from Quebec was even called in to help.
At 3 p.m., Judge Louis Dionne finally summoned the jurors to tell them that they were released for the day. “We have been sending men to the moon since 1969, but we are unable to hear a witness who is in the next room,” he said, visibly irritated.
The trial of the girl’s mother-in-law is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. The 38-year-old is charged with second degree murder and forcible confinement of the 7-year-old. She is believed to have wrapped it in duct tape, according to the Crown theory.
On the night before the 911 call, the girl tried to run away from home, a neighbor revealed at the start of the trial. The police and paramedics who intervened said they had discovered a naked child, emaciated and inanimate. It was in a liquid akin to urine and vomit.