'He's still a child': Mother of slain teen wants rehabilitation, not revenge
Lynne Baudouy knows she'll never get her son back.
But resenting the teenager who killed him won't bring him back either, she says.
"If I hold anger and animosity within me, then I can't heal. I can't move on. And I'm no use as a parent to my other kids."
Her son, Lucas Gaudet, was stabbed in February during an altercation outside a high school on Montreal's West Island.
The 16-year-old died in hospital shortly afterwards.
On Tuesday, the accused, also 16, pleaded guilty to one charge of second-degree murder and one charge of aggravated assault.
His actions would change Baudouy's life forever -- but she doesn't want revenge.
Instead, she wants change.
"I truly do want this child to rehabilitate himself. To make himself a productive member of society," she told CTV News.
"He's still a child."
The boy was sentenced to three years in youth detention and two in community service.
It's a decision Baudouy is at peace with.
"I think he's just another misguided teenager. My gut feeling when they were reading the sentence was to go and give him a hug. He looked scared."
The Youth Protection Act prohibits the publication of any details that might identify the convicted.
RISE IN TEEN VIOLENCE
Quebec has witnessed a surge in youth violence over the past year, with Gaudet counted among its victims.
Lucas Gaudet was just 16 years old when he was stabbed during a conflict with numerous teenage boys. That list also includes Amir Benayad, 17, who was shot to death in the Plateau neighbourhood in January; Jannai Dopwell Bailey, 16, who was stabbed and killed last October; Thomas Trudel, 16, who was killed in November and Meriem Boundaoui, 15, who was shot in a drive-by in February 2021.
Their deaths have sparked calls for change from youth and adults alike, including Badouy.
In March, she participated in a demonstration honouring the victims and calling for more youth support.
"I wouldn't wish it on any parent to have to lose their child in such a violent, tragic way," she said at the time.
She now hopes that same support can be extended to the boy who killed her son.
"All I know is, this kid needs to be surrounded and supported in order for him to rehabilitate."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.