The couple charged in the July 2009 death of their seven-week-old baby have been remanded in custody Wednesday.
Ashiqur Rahman and Jane Gomes were in Halifax provincial court on upgraded charges of manslaughter.
The couple were arrested after their seven-week-old infant was rushed to the IWK with life-threatening injuries last July. The infant died in hospital July 24 and the parents were charged with aggravated assault.
In light of the manslaughter charges, the assault charges have been stayed. Rahman and Gomes are both former Acadia students from Bangladesh and are in Canada on students visas
Rahman's defense attorney Don Murray took exception to the media being informed of the homicide charges before he was.
"It caused danger in the institution for my client," says Murray. "My client has no control over his physical safety and that's entirely in the hands of the government."
Gomes' lawyer Peter Mancini would not speak about the two manslaughter charges against his client. They are failing to provide the necessities of life, and criminal negligence causing death.
"Of course we react to the charges that are laid, and the crown has made the decision to lay the charges," says Mancini. "At this point we're putting them to the burden of proving them."
Two separate preliminary inquires have been set for April. Rahman's will begin starting April 19 in front of a judge, meanwhile Gomes' will be before a judge and jury starting April 23.