One of the daughters of Emil and Rodica Radita, the Calgary couple facing first degree murder charges in connection with the death of their teenage son, testified in her parents’ defence on Tuesday.
The Radita’s daughter, who cannot be named as she is a minor, was shielded from her parents by a screen in the courtroom. She has not seen her parents in nearly three years. During her testimony, the girl stated that her brother Alexandru (Alex) was ‘a vibrant person’, ‘very artistic’ and ‘smart’.
Emil, 59, and his 54-year-old wife Rodica are accused of slowly starving 15-year-old Alex and depriving him of food and medical care. The teenager’s body was located in the Radita family’s home in Citadel in May 2013 and an autopsy confirmed Alex’s death was the result of bacterial sepsis attributed to neglect, starvation and complication related to his Type 1 diabetes.
“(Alex) was one of my mom’s favourites,” the girl told the courtroom. “He needed more attention I guess.”
"They would give him tea and herbs," she recalled of the care her parents provided when Alex was ill. The daughter agreed that her parents did not believe in doctors due to the family's religous beliefs.
The deceased's younger sister was brought to tears when a video of Alex's 15th birthday party, recorded three months before his death, was played for the court.
At the time of his passing, the 15-year-old weighed roughly 18 kg (40 lbs.). Responding Calgary Police Service officers described the teenager’s living conditions as horrific.
Alex was one of Emil and Rodica Radita’s eight children.
In 2003, British Columbia RCMP launched an investigation into suspected neglect while the Raditas resided in Surrey, B.C. As a result of the investigation, Alex was seized and placed into protective custody in a foster home. A judge overturned the decision, Alex was returned into the care of Emil and Rodica and the family relocated to Alberta.
Final arguments in the trial are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
With files from CTV's Alesia Fieldberg
