Alberta boy, 13, sentenced to secure custody for trying to kill younger brother

By Canadian Press on February 11, 2026.

LETHBRIDGE — An Alberta judge has sentenced a 13-year-old boy to two years of secure custody for trying to stab his younger brother to death.

The attacker was 12 when he repeatedly stabbed the seven-year-old in the family’s Lethbridge home last August.

Police have said the older boy claimed an unknown man had entered the house and stabbed his brother before fleeing.

The boy, who earlier pleaded guilty to attempted murder, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The judge also sentenced the boy to one year of conditional supervision.

All three years are to be part of a rehabilitative custody and supervision program, which provides treatment for youth who have mental health issues and are convicted of violent offences.

Crown and defence lawyers both recommended the sentence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.

Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press