Diabetic teen’s last birthday video makes sister cry at parents’ murder trial

The teen, who was one of eight children, weighed just 37 pounds when he died.

The sister grew visibly upset after the video was shown and she was asked about his final birthday, three months before his death.

She recalled the last time she spoke to him, in her parents’ bedroom, the week he died.

“He was kind of sick … just the daily sickness, I guess,” she told court.

The sister said her parents — mainly her mother — would treat her brother when he was ill.

“They would give him tea and herbs.”

The witness spoke fondly of her brother in her earlier testimony.

“He was a very vibrant person. He was very artistic, smart. He was one of the favourites. He was one of my mom’s favourites,” she said.

“It was fun. There were a lot of things going on,” she said as she described what it was like to grow up in a large family.

The trial has heard from medical officials and social workers, who were involved with the Raditas from the time Alexandru was first diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 up until the family left British Columbia while under the eye of child-welfare services.

Witnesses have testified that the parents refused to accept that their son had diabetes and failed to treat his disease until he was hospitalized near death in 2003. One witness described the teen as nothing more than “skin and bones.”

Social workers apprehended Alexandru after his October 2003 hospital admission and placed him in foster care — where he thrived — for nearly a year before he was returned to his family.

The witness, whose view of her parents was blocked by a screen during her testimony, told court that there was always a lot of food in the home. But getting Alexandru to eat was a problem, she said.

“We tried to feed him but he would deny it,” she said, but noted he was fond of a “weird” kind of purple ketchup.

She also said he was able to prepare meals for himself.

“He knew how to make eggs and such.”

Alexandru virtually fell off the map once the family moved to Alberta in 2008. Court has been told he was enrolled in an online school program for one year but never finished. The boy never saw a doctor, although he did have an Alberta health insurance number.

Crown prosecutor Susan Pepper spent a few minutes in cross- examination.

“Your parents didn’t believe in doctors because of their religion. Is that right?” she asked the sister.

“Yes,” she replied.

“So when Alex was sick he didn’t go to the doctor, right?” continued Pepper.

“That’s right,” the sister said.

The trial began May 24 and the Crown concluded its case in June before it was adjourned for the summer. It has argued the teen’s parents fostered complete dependence by keeping their son out of school and isolating him from the community.

On Tuesday, the defence had the witness identify a number of photos that included Alex, herself and another sibling. Some were at a shopping mall and others showed them eating cupcakes and pizza.

Court was shown a video taken by the witness of a drive back from the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta., in which she sang, made animals noises and did a running commentary.

There was the occasional blurred glimpse of Alex and another brother and sister.

At one point Emil Radita is heard saying to them: “Are you guys happy for today?”

The defence has wrapped up its case and closing arguments are scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon.

— Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version transposed the first and last names.

by Canadian Press

Diabetic teen’s last birthday video makes sister cry at parents’ murder trial

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