Woman who threw scalding water on Longueuil, Que., child gets 27-month sentence

A Quebec woman who threw scalding water on a young child was sentenced to 27 months in prison at the Longueuil, Que., courthouse on Wednesday.

Quebec court Judge Marc Antoine Carette agreed with a joint recommendation presented by the Crown and defence in determining Stéphanie Borel’s sentence.

Borel, 47, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault last September in connection with an incident that took place on Oct. 2, 2024.

After the incident, the boy told Radio-Canada that he was walking home from school with friends in the city on the South Shore of Montreal, when they “took a shortcut” that passes in front of the woman’s residence.

His father said the boy arrived home around 4 p.m., screaming: “Dad, someone threw boiling water on me. I’ve been burned!”

The boy, who was 10 years old at the time, suffered second-degree burns to about four per cent of his body, including his face, chest and shoulder blade.

A publication ban is in place to protect his identity.

According to an agreed statement of facts, no evidence suggested that Borel, who is white, targeted the boy, who is Black, due to his race.

The agreed statement of facts notes that the boy and Borel did not know each other. Borel, it says, lived near the boy’s elementary school and was fed up after children from the school had been ringing her doorbell for several months as part of a “ring-and-run” game.

It notes that the day of the assault, the boy was approaching Borel’s door to “ring and run” but before he had the chance, she opened the door, threw boiling water on him and said, in French, “It’s hot, isn’t it? Get out of here.”

Sentence sends clear message, family friend says

The boy’s family attended Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. In a letter read by Crown prosecutor Gabriella St-Onge, the family described the toll of the incident on the boy’s life, including feelings of constant fear and living with visible scars.

The family asked for Borel to be incarcerated to send a message that violence against children is unacceptable.

Aggravating factors in this case included Borel’s risk of reoffending, the consequences of her actions on the boy and his family and the fact that the victim was a child.

During the hearing, defence laywer Mélanie Brochu presented mitigating factors, such as the fact that her client pleaded guilty, recognized the facts and is actively seeking psychological help.

Borel, whose bail was revoked in October, will have 20 months remaining on her sentence.

Farrah Auguste, a friend of the boy’s family, spoke to reporters after the hearing. She said they were “happy and relieved” that Borel got time behind bars.

“It sends a clear message to society that those kinds of acts , cruel acts, will never be accepted, will never be tolerated by the Canadian society,” she said, adding the family can now look to the future.

“Now the family is going to try and turn the page and move on and try to heal.”

WATCH | Mother and son speak out after scalding:

‘That’ll teach you’: Boy says woman threw boiling water at him on his way home from school

A publication ban has been issued in this case. As a result, CBC has blurred the faces of the boy and his mother and is withholding their names.