2 women charged with 1st-degree murder in death of 12-year-old boy in Burlington, Ont., in 2022 | CBC News

Two women have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a boy in Burlington, Ont., in 2022, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) said Friday.

In a news release, police said a 44-year-old from Burlington and a 42-year-old from Hamilton — “the prospective adoptive parents” of the 12-year-old — were arrested on Thursday.

The case dates back to Dec. 21, 2022. Just before 7:30 p.m. ET, HRPS and other emergency services were called to a home in response to a child without vital signs.

After police found the boy’s body, the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit (CASA) began an investigation. 

The two accused, who have also been charged with failure to provide the necessaries of life,  were in custody pending a bail hearing Friday.

Const. Ryan Anderson told CBC Hamilton that the delay between the death of the child and Thursday’s charges was “due to the complexity of the investigation.”

The police news release Friday was the first one issued by them in relation to this case.

Child was in care of Halton Children’s Aid Society

Janice Robinson, executive director of the Halton Children’s Aid Society (CAS), confirmed to CBC Hamilton that the 12-year-old was in their care at the time of his death.

“Upon learning of the death of an Indigenous child in our care on Dec. 21, 2022, our organization was devastated,” Robinson wrote in a statement Friday.

“Our profound thoughts and condolences continue to be with the family and the Indigenous community. We want to reiterate that our priority is always the safety and well-being of the children in our care, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that they are protected and supported.”

According to Robinson, the Halton CAS immediately conducted an internal review and engaged an independent third-party reviewer to examine child safety and adherence to standards. 

“We are co-operating fully with the ongoing investigation by Halton Regional Police Service,” Robinson’s statement said.

She told CBC News she cannot provide any further comment as the matter is now before the courts.

Police said the accused were also the prospective adoptive parents to the 12-year-old’s younger sibling, who also lived in the home in December 2022.

In January 2023, the two accused were charged with assault, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, failing to provide the necessaries of life and criminal negligence cause bodily harm following an investigation in relation to the younger sibling.