The woman accused of abducting a newborn baby from a maternity ward in Trois-Rivières was back in court Thursday morning and has been deemed fit to stand trial.
Valérie Poulin Collins, 21, next court appearance will be on June 18.
Police arrested Poulin Collins outside her home in Trois-Rivieres on May 26, about three hours after a woman posing as a nurse snatched a 16-hour-old infant from a local hospital.
The baby girl was returned to her parents unharmed.
Officers were able to find Poulin Collins with the help of locals who recognized her fom a surveillance video still sent out with an Amber Alert.
Poulin Collins faces two charges: one of kidnapping and one of abducting a person under 14 years old.
The abduction charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison while kidnapping draws a sentence ranging from five years to life.
Her lawyer, Karine Bussiere, suggested to the court that her client have access to mental-health specialists while detained.
“We have information (in the report) that led us to believe she had a problem at this level,” Bussiere told reporters. “So I asked the judge to recommend that she has access to the appropriate services.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
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