A woman from Charlottetown has admitted to infanticide after initially facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of her infant daughter. Cassie Marie Acorn, aged 40, entered her guilty plea in Charlottetown, citing her mental state at the time of the incident as the reason for her eligibility for the lesser charge.
According to information revealed in court, Acorn, who was suffering from depression and postpartum depression, was found to have the capacity to be held criminally responsible for the death of her child. However, due to her mental health conditions at the time, she opted to plead guilty to the charge of infanticide.
Infanticide, as defined by Canada’s Criminal Code, occurs when a woman causes the death of her newborn child while her mental state is disturbed due to recent childbirth or lactation. Further details surrounding the death of Acorn’s three-month-old daughter, Winter Elizabeth Rose Acorn, will be disclosed during her upcoming sentencing in early January.
The case came to light when the IWK Health Centre in Halifax notified Charlottetown police about an infant with a fractured skull. Despite receiving medical attention, the baby passed away three days later, leading to Acorn being charged with first-degree murder the following month.
Acorn’s legal representative mentioned that they would not be requesting a pre-sentence report, as there is substantial information from her evaluation that the Chief Provincial Court Judge Jeff Lantz can consider during sentencing. The maximum penalty for infanticide under Canadian law is five years of custody.