Ontario appeal court acquits Jennifer Gaskin

Ontario’s appeal court acquitted Jennifer Gaskin of manslaughter on September 29, 2026, overturning her 2002 conviction in the death of her infant son after new medical evidence undermined the original expert testimony, according to the Crown’s written submissions and the court’s ruling. Gaskin was convicted after two medical experts testified that her son, Joseph, died from shaken baby syndrome. The Crown later supported admitting new evidence and urged the court to acquit her, saying the evidence underlying the conviction had been wholly undermined and placed in grave doubt. Gaskin’s lawyers also sought an acquittal. The case was reviewed amid broader scrutiny of shaken-baby diagnoses and pediatric forensic pathology in Ontario. An international panel examining Joseph’s case found uncertainty about the cause of death and when his injuries occurred. The panel also concluded that injuries previously described as brain bruises were infarcts, or strokes, and that it was unclear whether the head injury caused his death, according to court documents. Three additional experts retained by Gaskin’s legal team could not rule out an inflicted injury.