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Elizabeth Wettlaufer faces civil lawsuit, disciplinary hearing from Ontario College of Nurses

Elizabeth Wettlaufer is escorted into the courthouse in Woodstock, Ont. on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley

Elizabeth Wettlaufer‘s legal troubles are far from over. The former nurse, who pleaded guilty to murdering eight seniors at nursing homes in Ontario, is facing a civil lawsuit filed by the families of some of her victims.

She’s also facing a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday by the Ontario College of Nurses.

This comes close to two months after she pleading guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Wettlaufer, 50, is not expected to attend Tuesday’s hearing in Toronto, but a decision could be made by the panel by the end of the day.

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READ MORE: Elizabeth Wettlaufer apologizes, sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years

While she confessed to her crimes and resigned from the regulatory body in September 2016, officials say the college still needs to officially bar Wettlaufer from the nursing profession.

Wettlaufer injected her victims with insulin with the murders taking place over a seven-year span.

READ MORE: Timeline of events in case of former Ontario nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer

Records from the College of Nurses of Ontario show Wettlaufer was first registered as a nurse in August 1995 but resigned Sept. 30, 2016, and is no longer a registered nurse.

In addition to being officially barred from practicing nursing in Ontario, a guilty verdict from the college could see Wettlaufer slapped with a maximum $35,000 fine. She could also be forced to cover the college’s legal costs, investigation and hearing costs.

Critics are pressuring the Ontario College of Nurses to explain why it took so long to bring action against Wettlaufer, who was fired from Caressant Care in Woodstock for medication errors in 2014, but went on to work at Meadow Park in London where she killed her final victim.

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That victim was Arpad Horvath Sr. whose family joined the family of James Silcox in filing a civil lawsuit on Monday against Wettlaufer, Caressant Care, and Meadow Park.

Both families are seeking $250,000 in damages.

Arpad Horvath Jr. told AM980 the suit is about principle, not money.

“It’s more a matter of personal satisfaction that nursing homes will be put on notice, that this will not be tolerated, and that our seniors in this country deserve the highest level of care possible,” he said.

Click to play video: 'Son of Elizabeth Wettlaufer victim calls her apology ‘a waste of time’'
Son of Elizabeth Wettlaufer victim calls her apology ‘a waste of time’

WATCH ABOVE: Arpad Horvath Jr., the son of one of Elizabeth Wettlaufer’s victims, told reporters outside the courthouse following sentencing that her apology was, in his opinion, “a waste of time” and he hopes she “rots” in prison.

Horvath Jr. said facing the reality of what happened to his father will take a lifetime.

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“I have to carry, along with the other families, we carry on our shoulders murder, [knowing our loved ones] were murdered, they didn’t die of cancer or any kind of disease, they died of murder, somebody took their life from them,” he said.
Click to play video: 'Anger and frustration for son of Elizabeth Wettlaufer victim Arpad Horvath'
Anger and frustration for son of Elizabeth Wettlaufer victim Arpad Horvath

WATCH ABOVE: Arpad Horvath Jr. reacts after Wettlaufer pleads guilty, saying what she did is unforgivable and he will push for reform in elderly care.

The Ontario government announced last month it will appoint a commissioner to lead a public inquiry into the case, but the timeline and scope of the probe has yet to be revealed.

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