Lethbridge (Rajeev Sharma): A 13-year-old boy from Lethbridge, Alberta, has been sentenced to three years in custody and supervision after pleading guilty to attempting to kill his seven-year-old brother in a stabbing attack last year.
The sentence, handed down Wednesday, is the maximum permitted under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and will be served as an Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) order. The specialized sentence is reserved for young offenders who commit serious violent crimes and have significant mental health needs requiring treatment.
Under the order, the teenager will spend the first two years in secure custody, where he will receive structured programming and treatment for recently diagnosed mental health conditions that had not previously been addressed. The final year will be served in the community under strict supervision and conditions.
The identities of both brothers are protected under a publication ban.
The case stems from an incident in August 2025, when the then-12-year-old stabbed his younger sibling nine times while their father was briefly out of the house. When the father returned, the older child was outside and told him that his brother was dead.
The seven-year-old was airlifted to hospital with multiple injuries to his face, arm, hand and back. Three of the wounds — affecting the brain, heart and chest — were described as life-threatening, though the child survived.
During the investigation, the teen told police he experienced an uncontrollable urge to harm his brother linked to voices he said he sometimes heard. Authorities also found that he had been searching for violent content online prior to the attack.
A forensic psychiatric assessment later identified several mental health diagnoses, though details were not disclosed in court. The judge noted that the conditions had not previously been treated.
The court heard that the teenager has expressed remorse. As part of the IRCS order, the treatment team will report back to the court on his progress after one year.
