The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Tammy Bouvette, a British Columbia woman previously convicted in the drowning death of a toddler, must be acquitted — ending a legal ordeal that began more than a decade ago.
Bouvette was originally charged with second-degree murder after a 19-month-old girl she had been babysitting drowned in a bathtub in Cranbrook, B.C., in 2011. She later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of criminal negligence causing death.
But in 2023, the B.C. Court of Appeal overturned the conviction after finding that the Crown failed to disclose key evidence to Bouvette’s defence — a serious violation of her legal rights. The court said the lack of disclosure prevented her from making an informed decision about her plea and amounted to a “move
The Appeal Court stopped further proceedings by ordering a judicial stay — effectively halting the case without assigning guilt or innocence. However, Bouvette petitioned the Supreme Court for a full acquittal, arguing that the fairness of her trial had been irreparably compromised.
On Friday, Canada’s highest court agreed, ruling that an acquittal is the appropriate and just outcome, officially clearing Bouvette of all charges in the case.