The father of a seven-year-old girl from Granby who whose death in late April raised questions about youth protection in the province is facing new charges.

The 30-year-old man appeared in a Granby courtroom Thursday to face charges of child abandonment and failure to provide the necessities of life. He was already charged with confinement.

His partner, the girl's stepmother, is charged with confinement and aggravated assault. The 35-year-old woman also appeared in court on Thursday but will only face a bail hearing on June 21.

 

Publication ban

The details of the case, which cannot be reported due to a publication ban, led the girl's mother to leave the courtroom twice during Thursday morning's hearing.

The accused are forbidden from communicating with each other; a court constable sat between them on Thursday to prevent any contact. The pair did not look at each other during the hearing.

The father was impassive, lowering his head at times and fixing his stare on the girl's mother. The stepmother was also stoic, her face hidden behind her thick hair.

None of the charges has been proven in court.

Quebec court Judge Serge Champoux made it clear to those in attendance that the publication ban was not just for journalists but for everyone present to protect the integrity of a future trial.

The judge warned that anyone found publishing information about the evidence on social media or elsewhere "could be prosecuted and should be prosecuted."

 

Girl was found tied up

The Granby girl died on April 30, one day after she was discovered in critical condition tied up in a bedroom in the home where she lived with her father and stepmother.

The child had been followed by youth protection since her birth, and her death sparked outrage and questions about the effectiveness of the system to help at-risk children.

Since her death, the regional director of youth protection services was suspended with pay at his request, and the province has launched several investigations into the case.

Nobody in the case can be identified in order to protect the identity of the deceased girl and her brother.

- With a report from Pierre Saint-Arnaud of The Canadian Press