13-Year-Old Gets 3-Year Sentence for Stabbing Younger Brother

A 13-year-old Alberta boy who attempted to kill his younger brother by stabbing him several times was given a three-year sentence, the maximum permitted under the Youth Justice Criminal Act.

The boy was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault and pleaded guilty to attempted murder. He cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The child will serve an Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) sentence, which involves mental health treatment.

The IRCS program is designed for youth who have a mental illness or disorder, psychological disorder, or an emotional disturbance and have been convicted of a violent crime, including murder and attempted murder, according to the federal government.

Justice Ryan Anderson divided the sentence into two years of secure custody and one year of conditional supervision.

Crown prosecutor Lauren Atkinson said the offender has expressed remorse for the stabbing, and noted that he has “several diagnoses” that have not been addressed up to this point. Details of the boy’s diagnoses were not released.

Crown and defence attorneys both recommended the sentence, which is the most severe one available for youth convicted of attempted murder, unless they are tried as an adult.

He has also been ordered to provide a DNA sample and is under a 10-year weapons ban.

The court can consider reviewing the sentence after about a year, and have the youth moved from secure to open custody.

Lethbridge police said they responded to the incident on Aug. 27 just after 4:30 p.m. after receiving a report that a 7-year-old boy had been stabbed.

At the time, police said the father had made the 911 call after he arrived home and found the younger boy in “serious medical distress,” according to a Sept. 5 news release.

The 7-year-old was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital with “critical injuries” and later flown to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, police said.

The Criminal Investigation Section started an investigation and found a knife on the property that was believed to be used in the incident.

Investigators said they found evidence that indicated the older boy, who was 12 at the time, had stabbed his brother repeatedly while the boys were alone in the home.

The 12-year-old allegedly “believed he had killed him” and then lied about a stranger being responsible for the attack, police said.

Child and Family Services were contacted, police said, adding that family members had also been connected with the Victim and Witness Services Unit for additional support.