A worker from the Directorate of Youth Protection (DPJ) testified on Friday in the trial of the mother-in-law of the girl from Granby. She recounted the care of two children, including the 14-year-old son of the accused.
Virginie Cotton was informed that she had to go to two children, 5 and 14 years old, for a situation deemed “urgent” on April 29, 2019, she told the jury. When he arrived at 23, rue Lindor in Granby, the two minors were seated in the back seat of a police vehicle.
“We are often the first to speak to children, even before the police, but we must safeguard the evidence. We cannot talk about the events, ”explained Mme Cotton at court.
Mme Cotton and a colleague therefore asked the two children if they were hungry. “We suggested that they go eat. We went to eat at McDonald’s [au service à l’auto] », Said the representative of the DPJ. “We also explained to them that afterwards, after going to look for food, we would go to the police station and that they should probably talk to investigators. ”
“Given the circumstances, their reaction was still well suited to the situation. They were aware that they would talk to the police and they were okay with that too, ”continued Mr.me Cotton a little later in his interrogation.
At the police station, the workers and the two children had to wait some time before the start of the first interview, according to Mr.me Cotton. The 5-year-old played with a doggie and pencils that the police gave him. The accused’s son had access to his cell phone for entertainment. All together, they talked about their school, their friends, their vacations, their activities, said Mr.me Cotton.
The teenager’s filmed interview lasted nearly two hours. He then headed for the entrance to the police station to wait for his grandfather. “He was pacing up and down and then, after 10 minutes, he told me he wanted to talk to the police again because he had forgotten to tell them something very important”, explained Mme Cotton, a speaker with 29 years of experience.
Carl Morin, of the crimes against the person division at the Sûreté du Québec, also came to testify, Friday, of the filmed interview he carried out with the son of the accused. The investigator explained that he was going for the first time to the Granby municipal police station. The two children therefore had to wait a certain time before starting their interviews because the police officer had to familiarize himself with the video room.
” [L’adolescent] didn’t seem surprised to see me. He agreed to come and meet me. I did not feel any reluctance. Even, at the limit, I realized that he was a hyper mature young man, very intelligent, who understands really quickly. It was a meeting which, all in all, went really well, ”explained Mr. Morin to the jury.
The investigator claimed that he made sure that no one had made any promises or threats to the teenager before his second testimony. “He came of his own free will and I put it on video,” said Morin.
The third week of this trial will begin Monday with the testimony of the son of the accused, by videoconference. The video of his interview with the police will also be shown to the jury.
The accused, a 38-year-old woman, is suspected of having wrapped duct tape the 7-year-old victim, according to the Crown’s thesis.