Father of Granby girl pleads guilty to forcible confinement

A man has pleaded guilty offorcible confinement in the death of his seven-year-old daughter in Granby.

The man registered his plea before Superior Court JudgeFranois HuotMonday. The court requested a conditional stay of proceedings on a separate charge of criminal negligence causing death.

The father had also been charged with failingto provide the necessariesof life and abandoning a child.

The plea comes days after the girl's stepmother wasconvicted of second-degree murder and forcible confinement in the death.

The man's trial was set to start in January, inTrois-Rivires, 140 kilometres north of Granby.

The girl's death in the spring of 2019 sent shockwaves through the province, sparking public outcry andprompting an inquiry into Quebec's youth protection system.The young girl had been followed by youth protection since birth.

The case will return to court in January for sentencing.