WARNING: This story contains content some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is strongly advised.
Calgary parents accused of killing their teenage son knew denying him insulin could kill him, according to evidence the prosecution is attempting to have admitted into the trial of Emil and Rodica Radita.
They are charged with the first degree murder of 15-year-old Alex (Alexandru) Radita.
A summary of evidence to be presented by 11 witnesses from British Columbia was submitted Friday as part of a voir dire. A voir dire is a trial within a trial to determine if the evidence heard will be allowed into the trial proper.
The defence and Crown will argue the admissibility of the B.C. evidence after the 11 witnesses testify.
Court heard Alex was hospitalized three times while living in British Columbia, the first in December 2000, when he suffered from severe dehydration and “diabetic ketoacidosis.”
It was during this visit he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and parents were trained on caring for Alex’s medical condition. Court heard his discharge from hospital was delayed as officials felt his parents were in denial about his illness.
Alex was hospitalized three months later. His doctor worried Emil and Rodica Radita were faking his blood sugar readings, and they were given further training.
READ MORE: Calgary parents accused of not treating diabetic teen plead not guilty to first-degree murder
Then in October 2003, Alex was rushed to hospital, suffering from a distended stomach, rotten teeth, thin hair, a grey complexion.
Court heard he was malnourished. He was noted to be severely underweight for a five-year-old, weighing 39.6 pounds. Alex weighed 37 pounds when he died, ten years later, in May 2013.
Below: Photos of Alex Radita on his 15th birthday, taken just months before his death
Alex was kept in hospital for more than three months, when he was seized by British Columbia Child and Family Services (CFS) in January 2004. That’s when he was placed in foster care, and was able to get back to a normal weight.
At one one point, B.C. CFS sought permanent guardianship of Alex, but in January 2005 he was returned to Emil and Rodica’s care.
The judge at the time ruled the Raditas were able to care for Alex with proper education and monitoring.
From 2005 to 2008, Alex’s care was supervised by a doctor and his condition stabilized. The CFS file was closed.
However, court heard an investigation was launched in July 2008 when Alex didn’t show up at a doctor’s appointment. Officials learned Alex wasn’t in school and they weren’t able to locate the family.
No further action was taken, and there was no contact between B.C. officials and Alberta CFS.
The witnesses from B.C. include several doctors and pediatric endocrinologists who will testify Rodica repeatedly disagreed with doctors in the diagnosis of diabetes
The Crown submits the facts from the B.C. witnesses “relate squarely to the intent to commit murder.”
“The accused knew what they were doing when they failed to provide Alex with enough insulin, nutrition and medical care because they had the training to treat him,” Crown prosecutor Susan Pepper said. “They had done it successfully in the past, and they knew what would happen if they did not do it.”
“They knew every day–as they watched Alex deteriorate–what the consequence of inaction would be.”
The Crown argued the evidence speaks to intent on the part of Emil and Rodica, and “rebuts the defence of innocent mistake.”
Defence lawyers for Emil and Rodica are expected to argue why the B.C. evidence should not be admitted Friday afternoon.
Police were called to the Radita home in the community of Citadel on May 7, 2013.
An autopsy revealed Radita died from a bacterial sepsis (Staphyloccus Aureus) from complications of neglect and starvation, due to the Type 1 diabetes.
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