David and Collet Stephan Guilty of Failing to Provide the Necessities of Life
LETHBRIDGE – Less than 24-hours after beginning deliberations, the jury returned with a verdict of guilty for both David and Collet Stephan.
A large number of family members and supporters broke down in tears, as the couple was convicted on a charge of failing to provide the necessities of life for the death of their 18-month old son Ezekiel in March of 2012.
“What we hope that the public and the community takes away from this particular trial and the verdict in this trial, is that all parents are held to a minimum standard of care that all children should expect at all times,” stated Crown Prosecutor Lisa Weich following the decision.
“They definitely, definitely loved their son, but as stated in our closing arguments and even in our opening arguments, unfortunately sometimes love just isn’t enough, parents still have to follow the standard of care that is set by the criminal law,” Weich added.