Winnipeg mother accused of leaving newborn in garbage bin previously received treatment for addiction: court records
A Winnipeg mother who’s accused of leaving her newborn daughter in a garbage bin struggled with addiction and homelessness, according to court records.
Jeanene Rosa Moar, 31, was charged this week with manslaughter and concealing the body of a child after her infant girl was found dead early last month in a garbage bin between Boyd Avenue and Redwood Avenue in the city’s North End.
The charges haven’t been tested in court and Moar is presumed innocent.
A court date for Moar scheduled for Friday was put over to June 20.
She remains in custody.
Court records show Moar had previous convictions for motor vehicle theft and failing to comply with her probation. In October 2018 she pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and stealing a running car while she was disqualified from driving.
Moar was sentenced to 24 days in custody and given a $1,000 fine for those offences.
Court heard she had driven off in the vehicle to a south Winnipeg Liquor Mart where she stole one can of alcohol and was later found by police in the vehicle drinking in the parking lot and taken into custody.
Her lawyer at the time told a judge Moar lives with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and was staying in a treatment centre for help with addictions to methamphetamine and alcohol.
The court heard she had suffered from a transient lifestyle after becoming homeless.
“She did live with her mother and it was a fairly good situation growing up until ultimately around the age of eight,” her lawyer told the court in 2018.
The lawyer told the judge Moar advised him she was then exposed to abuse, neglect and harassment.
“She was actually kicked out of her house by her mother’s boyfriend who was somewhat emotionally and/or sexually harassing her,” Moar’s lawyer told the court. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say abuse did happen. I don’t know one way or the other.”
Her lawyer told the judge Moar took responsibility for her actions in 2018 and wanted to focus on overcoming her addictions to work on her employment skills so she could get a job as a server.
The troubling circumstances of the new offences Moar is now accused of have left many in the community shocked and saddened.
Doug King, a justice studies professor at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, cautions people not to rush to judgment.
“We have to be understanding that oftentimes some women are caught in great desperate situations,” King said. “They have no support network, they feel trapped, they feel frightened, they feel anxious and they do the wrong thing and it can be criminal.”
Winnipeg police believe the infant, who officers have identified as Baby Moar, was still alive when she was placed in the garbage bin.
It’s a factor King suggests led to the charge of manslaughter.
“That act then would be either intentional, in the sense of intentionally causing death which is murder,” King said. “Or manslaughter, which is not intending to cause death but death occurred by the result of an action.”
He said the charge of infanticide may have also been considered, which is an offence where a mother causes the death of their child while experiencing mental distress.
Investigators would only say the offences Moar was charged with were laid in consultation with the Crown.
“Manslaughter is the one that would fit, excluding infanticide. And if there was no evidence that the mother was suffering from mental disorder then manslaughter becomes the default,” King said.
He said while these cases are extraordinarily rare, there are initiatives underway across the continent to better support mothers.
“To actually, through different social service agencies, develop what, for want of a better word, is a drop box for women who’ve given birth in these kinds of situations to go and deposit the child in. Basically a door to a building in an anonymous fashion,” King said. “We can do a lot more when it comes to these kinds of situations where women find themselves in a great desperate situation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.