GUILTY Canada - Alexandru Radita, 15, dies of extreme neglect, Calgary, 7 May 2013

[OkieGranny]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...-parents-social-services-alberta-bc-1.3633536

The British Columbia Ministry of Child and Family Development knew Alex Radita was living in Calgary with his family and was concerned about his welfare, but did nothing to notify its Alberta counterpart, according to evidence heard in court on Monday...

On Monday, the court heard testimony from two B.C. social workers who were involved with the Radita family...

Gage, who no longer works as a social worker, said he believes Alex's death was "completely preventable."

"It was a collection of errors," he said in an interview outside the courtroom after completing his evidence.

Those errors belong to multiple individuals and groups, said Gage.

 

[0101ABA]

Alex Radita was "doomed and trapped" in his life with parents who refused to acknowledge or treat his diabetes, prosecutor Susan Pepper said Thursday in her final arguments at the couple's first-degree murder trial.

Emil and Rodica Radita had a goal, said Pepper, to find a way for their son to live without insulin because, despite a mountain of evidence of Alex's diagnosis, the couple did not believe he suffered from the ailment.

(...)

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Horner is presiding over the case and will set a date to deliver her decision after final arguments conclude.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...deo-alex-birthday-closing-arguments-1.3763495

 

[Rayemonde]

"Rodica continued to express an egotistical attachment to her own position," said Pepper. "[She] cared more about being right than about the truth."

At times throughout Pepper's arguments, Rodica shook her head in disagreement...

Alex's youngest sister told the judge that, despite other church members' testimony that they do believe in traditional medical care, her parents did not believe in doctors because of their religion...

Alex's parents told members of their Romanian Pentecostal Church that he'd died and was resurrected by God and came back to life.

About 15 members of the church were brought to the Radita home to pray for Alex. Once they saw the boy, some of the elders insisted Emil call 911.

A letter written by one of the boy's siblings was found in the garbage. The girl wrote that her brother's appearance frightened her and that she planned to pray for him.

"The solution to a dying Alex was prayer and only prayer," said Pepper.

http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3763495

 

[Rayemonde]

Alex Radita, who weighed just 37 pounds when he was found dead at age 15, was a vibrant and artistic teen who was one of his parents' "favourites," his sister testified at her parents' murder trial in Calgary on Tuesday.

Defence lawyers have indicated the girl — whose name and age are protected by a publication ban — will be their only witness, so the trial will move to closing arguments after her testimony...

Crown prosecutor Susan Pepper spent a few minutes in cross- examination.

"Your parents didn't believe in doctors because of their religion. Is that right?" she asked the sister.

"Yes," she replied.

"So when Alex was sick he didn't go to the doctor, right?" continued Pepper.

"That's right," the sister said.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/calgary/alex-radita-trial-defence-begins-1.3759637

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/radita-emil-rodica-alex-murder-trial-decision-1.3900606

The parents accused of murdering their diabetic son by refusing to treat his disease will learn their fate next month.

A date was set on Friday for Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Horner to deliver her decision following their five-week trial that began in May.

 

[macrauchenia]

"Rodica continued to express an egotistical attachment to her own position," said Pepper. "[She] cared more about being right than about the truth."

At times throughout Pepper's arguments, Rodica shook her head in disagreement...

Alex's youngest sister told the judge that, despite other church members' testimony that they do believe in traditional medical care, her parents did not believe in doctors because of their religion...

Alex's parents told members of their Romanian Pentecostal Church that he'd died and was resurrected by God and came back to life.

About 15 members of the church were brought to the Radita home to pray for Alex. Once they saw the boy, some of the elders insisted Emil call 911.

A letter written by one of the boy's siblings was found in the garbage. The girl wrote that her brother's appearance frightened her and that she planned to pray for him.

"The solution to a dying Alex was prayer and only prayer," said Pepper.
http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3763495

Aargh, this is where religious beliefs can get really dangerous. (Though it is pretty hard for me to imagine that these parents could rationalize ALL this horror away.)
If you're an ADULT and you don't want medical care, because you think you're going to be reincarnated or be happier in heaven or whatever, FINE. But don't impose this sort of suffering on your kids! Let your kids make it to adulthood and decide on their own beliefs, and their own decisions. Ugh. That poor little boy.

 

[MistyWaters]

Both convicted of 1st Degree Murder.

"Alexandru Radita “lived and died very much alone,” a prosecutor noted Friday, moments after his parents were sentenced to life in prison for his murder........

Emil, 60, and Rodica, 54, showed no outward emotion as Horner found they had effectively planned and deliberated their son’s death on May 7, 2013, by failing to get him life-saving medical attention.

Horner also said the boy was intentionally confined by his parents through his isolation, which would also make them guilty of first-degree murder."
http://calgaryherald.com/news/crime...first-degree-murder-in-death-of-son-alexandru

 

[J.Mo]

Alex Radita's parents were found guilty of 1st degree murder. They have letters posted on the B.C. Romanian Community Center website that they wrote to UNICEF and the UN years ago with bizarre allegations about him being beaten in the hospital. I don't see this as a case of religious faith, I think it goes well beyond that how egotistical, paranoid and delusional these parents are. There are comments under their letters but not in English. Sorry if I should have posted this update somewhere else and with links, I'm not computer savvy and am simply shocked enough by this case that I've been searching.

 

[Rayemonde]

Alex Radita's parents were found guilty of 1st degree murder. They have letters posted on the B.C. Romanian Community Center website that they wrote to UNICEF and the UN years ago with bizarre allegations about him being beaten in the hospital. I don't see this as a case of religious faith, I think it goes well beyond that how egotistical, paranoid and delusional these parents are. There are comments under their letters but not in English. Sorry if I should have posted this update somewhere else and with links, I'm not computer savvy and am simply shocked enough by this case that I've been searching.

I think I've found the letters you refer to... They are indeed bizarre!

http://romanians.bc.ca/story/2004/01/strigat-de-ajutor-din-partea-unei-familii-de-romani

 

[J.Mo]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/radita-murder-trial-ontario-social-services-1.3653473
In the 1990s, before the Raditas moved to B.C., the family lived in two Ontario cities — Windsor and Kitchener.
Ontario Children's Aid became involved twice when the parents refused to allow a hospital to treat their ill child, according to MacDonald's testimony.
In preparing to present evidence that Alex should not be returned to his parents, MacDonald contacted Children's Aid where she learned details of the Raditas time in Ontario.
That's how she learned the family moved twice so that investigations could not be completed, MacDonald told Cohen.
In the first case, one of the Radita children was born prematurely and needed oxygen, but Rodica refused to let medical staff treat the newborn. At that time, Children's Aid was called in and seized the infant so that medical care could continue.
When the same child was five months old, the baby fell ill and Rodica gave the infant adult Tylenol. The baby was brought to hospital and began having seizures — though it's unclear if the seizures were related to the pain reliever.
Anti-seizure medication was given to the child, but Rodica was so resistant that Children's Aid had to step in again so that the sick baby could receive treatment. He was returned once the Raditas agreed to administer the medicine.
The Raditas also had a 3½-month-old baby girl who died in the early 1990s in Ontario, but the circumstances of the infant's death are unclear.
MacDonald testified that she was told the baby had bronchial pneumonia, but the parents refused to tell her the girl's name or birth date so the social worker was not able to obtain the coroner's report.
(Maybe I should have posted this is a quote, exerpt from the article linked)

 

[iulia]

Thank you and Rayemonde for finding those. I've read the letters and the comments and they are indeed bizzare. I find it very interesting that they did not receive the response they expected from the Romanian community. The people who commented on the site were reluctant to show support for the family just because they were fellow Romanians. Because of the lack of details regarding the reason why SS were involved, people were afraid they could be supporting a family that was abusing their son. Boy, were they right...

RIP Alexandru!

ETA: reply with quote won't work, I meant to reply to J.Mo

 

[J.Mo]

Thank you for shedding some light on the comments. There's such inconsistency in this family. They believed it possible he had Hepatitis or some illness contracted at the hospital, but not diabetes, why not? It seems psychologically complicated as if the mother wanted him ill and suffering and the father was complicit.

 

[YESorNO]

Raditas guilty of 1st-degree murder of teen son who weighed 37 lb. at death
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers

"A Calgary judge says there was planning and forcible confinement by a couple found guilty of the first-degree murder of their teen son, who was starved and neglected and weighed just 37 pounds when he died.

Emil and Rodica Radita, who have been in custody since they were arrested, were each given life sentences on Friday, and will have to spend 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Their son Alex, 15, whose Type 1 diabetes went untreated, died on May 7, 2013.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Horner said the boy was kept in "purposeful isolation" by his parents, and therefore did not have contact with anyone who might have intervened, like a doctor or teacher.

Throughout the parents' trial, which began last May, Horner heard evidence that the Raditas had a history of refusing to properly treat their son's condition, beginning when he was diagnosed at age two.

Horner said the Raditas were well aware of their son's diabetes and how it should be treated.

"Your actions ... are beyond comprehension. You persisted in arrogant confidence ... until he was dead," the judge said..."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...murder-trial-decision-judge-1.3995371?cmp=rss

RIP Alex :candle:

(Alex Radita shows off his artwork in 2004 when he was enrolled in a B.C. school. At that time he was living with a foster mother. [Sandy Wong])
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