Gabriel Sinclair-Pasqua, an 18-month-old boy in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, suffered severe burns on one-third of his body back in September 2021. While his injuries required urgent medical care, his parents, Michael Sinclair and Sonya Pasqua waited for a whole week before seeking medical treatment. Little Gabriel eventually succumbed to his wounds, which included a blunt hit to his head.
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According to court statements, Carolina Valenzuela, prosecutor, said that Little Gabriel suffered the burns around September 27 or 28, 2021, burning 33 percent of his body. Sinclair and Pasqua did not seek medical care for their boy. "A major pediatric burn would have required emergency medical care and immediate hospitalization to monitor vital signs and fluid status, antimicrobial dressing changes and monitoring for infection," Valenzuela said, according to the Calgary Herald.
Prosecutor Valenzuela also revealed a text from Sinclair to Pasqua on September 28 that reads as follows: "We need him to heal then we can send him off to a facility 'cause we still need him as a paycheque."
The nature of Little Gabriel's injuries was heartbreaking and shocking. According to Valenzuela, the pattern of Gabriel's burns suggests someone spilled boiling liquid from above and into his diaper. Moreover, Gabriel also suffered from blunt force trauma to the head, causing fatal brain damage. Furthermore, Gabriel was also "emaciated and dehydrated, with his body weight below the third percentile," according to Valenzuela.
Failure As Parents
According to Valenzuela, Gabriel's parents both admitted to knowing the severity of their son's injuries, as both the head trauma and the burns were "readily apparent and visible."
"Pasqua and Sinclair admit that their failure as parents to provide prompt medical attention was a marked and substantial departure from the standard of care expected to a parent and showed a wanton disregard for the life and safety of Gabriel," Valenzuela concluded.
Police arrested Gabriel's parents in February 2023. Both Michael Sinclair and Sonya Pasqua pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the death of their son, Gabriel Sinclair-Pasqua. By pleading guilty, they eliminated the need for a trial scheduled for March 2025. Michael Sinclair and Sonya Pasqua remain in custody and their sentencing hearing will take place on December 20.
