Friends of the family’s daughter was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on Easter weekend of 2000 in her apartment while her 3 year old son stood watching. He is clearly traumatized as are the rest of her family. A few days ago the man who committed the murder was sentenced to life in prison. He pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder. If he had not pleaded guilty who knows how long the trial process would have dragged on.
My question is regarding the fact that the family was told they could receive no type of therapy for any of them, including the toddler who watched his mother die, until after the trial was over for fear of jepordizing the case. They were in constant contact with the prosecutor right from the beginning but could not speak to family or friends about what had happened in anything other than vague generalities for the same reason.
The family, especially the child, needed some kind of therapy almost immediately. The, now 4 year old, child still remembers that night vividly and has many associated phobias stemming from it.
I have never heard of a family being told they could not seek counseling for this reason. Is this something that happens often in this kind of trial? I am unclear how them speaking to a someone who would have some sort of doctor-patient confidentiality could harm the trial.
Anyone familiar with the Canadian legal system out there to tell me if this kind of thing is normal practice and why?
jawofech