A 24-year-old Brantford, Ont., woman is facing multiple charges for an alleged fraud in seeking the assistance of doulas from across Ontario.
Investigators allege that between June 2022 and February 2023, the accused falsely utilized the services of several doulas – trained experts employed to provide guidance and support to a woman during labour, often done virtually and in person.
Few specifics were provided by detectives about the cases, but they did say some involved doulas brought in to care for a pregnant woman who was allegedly the victim of an assault or a stillbirth.
“Presently, I can confirm charges have been laid regarding fraud involving at least nine doulas,” Brantford police spokesperson Robin Matthews-Osmond said in an email.
“We do believe there are more who have not yet reported.”
Matthews-Osmond said the doulas were lured away from communities as far away as Hamilton, London, Cornwall, Whitby, Stratford and Sarnia.
The accused, Kaitlyn Braun, is facing more than 30 charges and has been remanded in custody.
The charges include harassment, false pretenses, fraud, sexual assault and committing an indecent act.
London-based doula Amy Silva told Global News that her first contact with Braun was via text message in mid-February and that’s how she predominantly gave support with the exception of one in-person meeting.
Silva said “nothing seemed off” in her experience with the accused, particularly in the way she had contractions.
“I’ve given birth to three children myself,” said Silva.
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“I’ve seen countless other people give birth and labor, so I know what it looks like, what it sounds like, and there were no kind of red flags in that regard at all.”
A part-time doula, Silva said the first red flags came in correspondence with another doula ultimately leading to a connection with a Facebook group of others who had been supporting Braun in the same manner.
She said contact with the accused discontinued immediately.
“It was kind of like she knew that we had figured it out and she just didn’t care and moved on to the next person almost immediately,” Silva assumed.
Matthews-Osmond says the investigation is active and ongoing.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to reach out to Brantford police or Crime Stoppers.
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