QUEBEC CITY, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A Canadian woman convicted of helping her ailing son kill himself has been spared a jail term and been placed on probation.
Justice Maurice Laramee of Quebec Superior Court condemned the action of 60-year-old Marielle Houlle, but said prison would be pointless for her.
On Sept. 25, 2004, Houlle helped her 36-year-old son, a sufferer of multiple sclerosis, end his life.
She has since become a recluse and loner in a nursing home, suffering from depression, diabetes and arthritis.
Canada does not allow assisted suicide.
Defense attorneys said the country should adopt laws like in Belgium or the Netherlands.
Laramee countered that those countries require doctor consultation and supervision, whereas Houlle and her son did it themselves.
