Families of both the victim and the accused packed a Saskatoon courtroom Thursday to hear the final arguments in the trial of Eunice Wudrich. The foster mother is charged with criminal negligence causing death.

On June 8th, 2010, 22-month-old Evander Daniels drowned in a bathtub in her Aberdeen home.

Before court got underway, the parents of the victim held a memorial for their son. They said that now that the smoke has cleared with the trial, it was an appropriate time to remember their son.

“We had a lot of questions. Two years is a long time to wait for answers,” said Chris Martell, Daniels’ father.

“Now I know what happened and it’s hurtful to know.”

In closing arguments, both sides painted a similar picture of what happened when Wudrich left the toddler in the bathtub. She left to show her husband a bruise on one of her other four foster children, and Evander was left alone for anywhere from five to 15 minutes. During the time Wudrich was gone, it’s believed the boy turned on the water tap and drowned.

The crown argued that Wudrich had a duty to supervise the boy while he was in the tub and deviated from this when she left him alone. According to the crown, this was reckless because she told police that at the time, she had forgotten about the boy.

“It’s common sense that you don’t leave a child who can’t fend for themselves in a tub full of water. That’s the crown’s position. We all know things can happen,” said Paul Goldstein, the crown prosecutor.

The victim’s mother agreed with the crown. “I would never leave my child unattended in the bathtub. Every time I bath my children I’m always there. I stand by them, I sit by them, I bath them,” said Nicole Daniels.

The defense agreed that Wudrich had a duty to supervise Daniels, however, they said she also had a duty to care for her other foster children – which the defense said was precisely what she was doing when she left the bathroom.

“This idea that we’re going to deal with one child in the bathtub right now that’s it, that’s not how supper gets made. That’s not how clothes get washed. That’s not how other kids get looked after,” said defense lawyer Mark Brayford.

With closing remarks from both sides submitted, the judge will announce his decision on January 18.