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Police Investigate Facebook Group Condemning Accused Ont. Woman As Â'BabykillerÂ'

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 June 2007, 18:02 CDT

By MARIA BABBAGE

TORONTO (CP) - Police are investigating an online group condemning a northern Ontario woman accused of leaving her baby to die as a "babykiller" for the possibility that it may pose a threat to her safety.

The Facebook group, which has about 200 members, advocates that Tabitha Etches be chased "out of town" for the alleged crime and urges its members to show up at her next court date with signs and friends to "show (their) hate for her."

Some of the obscenity-laced messages posted on the popular social networking site call the woman "sick" and "twisted," expressing the hope that she will "rot in hell" or be beaten while in prison.

"We need to make a statement that five years is not enough time for a crime like this," one member wrote. "Newborns are people too!"

While no concerns have been raised about Etches' safety to date, police will look into the online group immediately, North Bay police spokesman Sgt. Chuck Seguin said Wednesday.

"Anything that might present some kind of danger to the accused is certainly of concern to us, and we don't want any type of vigilantism going on or any behaviour of that type," Seguin said.

"This is before the criminal courts. It's not up to other people to decide on guilt or innocence."

Etches, 25, has been in custody since being arrested last Friday on charges of infanticide and neglecting to get help in childbirth.

The charges followed an extensive police investigation that began after two teens found the body of a baby boy near a walking trail March 30. Investigators say the full-term infant, wrapped in a towel in a plastic bag, was likely alive when he was abandoned last winter.

During the investigation, police canvassed the community for leads, implored the mother to come forward and even released photos of the orange towel found with the baby in the hopes that it would lead them to her.

The mother was eventually identified through DNA analysis conducted through the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto, police said. The cause of the child's death is still not known.

Etches was granted bail in a North Bay court on Monday, but was not released when her father changed his mind about acting as the person responsible for making sure she abides by her bail conditions.

She is currently being held at the North Bay Jail, a facility that Seguin describes as having "more than minimum" security. Etches is expected back in court June 26.

A court-ordered publication ban prevents any evidence from her bail hearing from being published.

Source: Canadian Press

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