Death of Jaylene Redhead

Jaylene Star Sanderson-Redhead was born on October 16, 2007, to Nicole Redhead in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jaylene was born experiencing drug withdrawal and with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a condition her mother also had. Due to concerns about her wellbeing, social workers removed Jaylene from her mother's care shortly after birth. Nicole Redhead had a traumatic childhood, including witnessing her mother kill her father, being moved through five foster homes, being sexually assaulted, and later developing an addiction to crack cocaine and engaging in prostitution. Her first two children had previously been removed from her custody by Manitoba Child and Family Services.

In late 2008, social workers agreed to a supervision plan under which Jaylene was returned to her mother's care on the condition that they live together at the Native Women's Transition Centre (also known as Awasis) in Winnipeg, where they could be monitored. The judge who later presided over the inquest into Jaylene's death questioned this decision, noting Redhead's earlier failure to demonstrate sufficient progress to regain custody of her first two children.

After moving into the centre, Redhead began consuming large quantities of crack cocaine and physically abusing Jaylene. An inquest report found that the pair were inadequately monitored by both social workers and centre staff, none of whom identified what was occurring. Redhead was also given leave to visit her community and stay with her own mother, providing her with unsupervised access to drugs.

In June 2009, approximately six months after Jaylene was returned to her care, and after a period of repeated, sustained beatings, Redhead killed Jaylene by smothering her. She did not report the death to police. The killing came to light after her boyfriend, Preston Tran, then incarcerated at Headingley Correctional Institution, learned what had happened and alerted the Winnipeg Police Service. Jaylene's death was recorded as the 14th homicide in Winnipeg in 2009.

Redhead pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting she killed her daughter in a fit of rage. Her defence attorney sought leniency citing her traumatic upbringing. Prosecutors told the court that Jaylene had sustained more than 30 injuries in the days before her death. Redhead was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, the term sought by the prosecution, which amounted to a further 8 years and 8 months in custody after credit for time served.

The case drew significant public attention in Canada and was debated in the Manitoba provincial legislature. A subsequent inquest produced 14 recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedies, with the Office of the Children's Advocate of Manitoba providing a Special Investigative Report. Justice Larry Allen criticized the Native Women's Transition Centre's practices regarding supervision of addicted mothers.