Parents face homicide charges in death of son

CTV Calgary: Charges pending against parents Police are expected to charge two Calgarians in connection to the death of a neglected teenager. Chris Epp reports.

Calgary police have arrested two people in connection to the death of their 15-year-old son and say charges are pending.

Police were called to a home in the 100 block of Citadel Drive N.W. at about 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 for reports of a deceased youth.

An autopsy was conducted and determined that the immediate cause of death was a bacterial sepsis (Staphyloccus Aureus) from the complications of neglect and starvation, due to Type 1 diabetes.

Investigators say the teen was diagnosed with diabetes several years earlier, before he moved to Alberta from B.C., and it is believed his parents failed to provide him the necessary treatment.

Police say that the teen’s health declined to the extent that he was confined to his room and subsequently died. They say he was home-schooled and did not have a family doctor in Alberta.

Police say the motive for not providing treatment is unknown but they do not believe it was based on religious beliefs.

“This situation is not based on their religious beliefs. In this investigation we spoke to members of, I’m not going to say several but of different religious groups that these people had association with. All were very cooperative with us. In fact, it was people from one of those groups that urged this family to eventually call for an ambulance for this boy,” said CPS S/Sgt. Grant Miller.

A man and a woman were arrested on Tuesday and police say they are facing charges of first-degree murder in the death of their son Alexandru Radita.

“This boy has suffered from long-term neglect to the point that he was unable to seek medical attention on his own and it’s their responsibility to provide that for him,” said S/Sgt. Miller. “I think this boy was in a very difficult position over an extended period of time and the length of time that this has gone on for, I think is what has caused the Crown to, in consultation with us and the Medical Examiner’s Office, to determine this to be murder which is more of an extent than say failure to provide the necessities of life. In this situation, the details are extreme and thus the extreme charge of first-degree murder.”

Miller says support was offered to emergency crews and police who reponded to the scene.

“Once we were inside the home, it was extreme and so we did seek peer support and provided counselling opportunities for all the first responders and anyone that was inside that house and saw the boy in the condition that he was found,” said Miller.

Police say there are eight children in the family, including the boy who died, and that most are of adult age.