The preliminary hearing continues today for a 62-year-old woman accused of beating and emotionally abusing her four children when they were still little and living with their parents.
Crown prosecutor Robin Snider alleges that the woman, who cannot be named to protect her children’s identities, committed a variety of offences against them during a span of more than 10 years, starting in 1984.
The woman is charged with assault, aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault and sexual touching for offences alleged to have occurred while the family was living in a rural area in Central Alberta.
Details of evidence heard during the preliminary hearing cannot be made public under a court-imposed ban.
Represented by defence counsel David Inglis, the accused has elected to be tried by judge alone in Court of Queen’s Bench, with the benefit of a preliminary hearing to examine the Crown’s case before proceeding to trial.
Charges were laid in 2013 by Sylvan Lake RCMP.