Ex-daycare owner's trial on charges of assaulting children adjourned

The case of a former daycare owner accused of assaulting children was adjourned Wednesday, and shewasordered to undergo a psychiatric review to determine her fitness to standtrial.

Mary Jana McCormack, 33, has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of assault involving six different children who attended her child-care centre inHarvey Station.

McCormack was scheduled to begin a three-day trial in Fredericton provincial court onWednesday, when defence lawyer George Kalinowskirequested she be sent for a mental health assessment.

He presented a letter from a Fredericton family doctor to support his request. The judge declined to make the letter available to reporters.

Judge Mary Jane Richards adjourned the case for 30 days so McCormack could be assessed by Dr. Minal Mistry, a Fredericton psychiatrist.

McCormack will return to court on July 20.

She was present in court on Wednesday, flanked by two supporters. She stood toacknowledge the judge's decision to send her for an assessmentbut didn't speak.

Wearing a hood and sunglasses, she then left the courthouse.

• Former daycare owner pleads not guilty to assault charges involving 6 kids
• Former daycare owner accused of assaulting 6 children

McCormack was arrested last July andcharged in Novemberafter a five-month investigation into allegations of assault,RCMPhave said.

She used to operate Laugh & Learn Children's Centre in Harvey Station, about 40 kilometres southwest of Fredericton, but the daycare no longer has a licence to operate.

Officials from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have refused to say when the daycare shut down or if inspectors had concerns for children's safety.

"The department cannot comment on any of the specifics as it relates to any investigation or legal proceedings," Brian Kenny, the department's minister, said in an emailed statement in November.

When the daycare closed, it disappeared from the province's online daycare inspection registrywith no indication of why it closed.

According to a version of the registry archived by Google, Laugh & Learn Afterschool Program had 24 licensed spaces for children to attend preschool and after-school programs as of March 2016.