On Tuesday, Canadian couple David Stephan and Collet Stephan were found guilty of “failing to provide the necessaries of life” for not seeking medical attention for their 19-month-old son, Ezekiel, who passed away due to meningitis in March 2012. Lisa Weich, the prosecutor who oversaw the case, described it as "incredibly sad.” The couple did not take Ezekiel to the hospital because they preferred naturopathic remedies, according to news reports.

"What we hope that the public and the community take away from this particular trial and the verdict in this trial is that all parents are held to a minimum standard of care that all children should expect at all times," Weich told CBC Calgary. "They definitely, definitely loved their son, but as stated in our closing argument and even in our opening arguments, unfortunately, sometimes love just isn't enough. Parents still have to follow the standard of care that is set by the criminal law.”

Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, also known as meninges. They decided to treat Ezekiel, who they believed had something less serious like a flu, using a mixture of apple cider vinegar, horseradish root, hot peppers, mashed onion, garlic, ginger root, and maple syrup. Regulators are now investigating a naturopathic doctor for her role in Ezekiel’s death, the National Post reported. The couple has stated in the past that they believed they did everything possible to properly care for their son.