Anti-Vax Father Who Used Maple Syrup To Treat Dying Son's Meningitis Says There Is 'No Humanity'

The anti-vaccine father of a child who died from meningitis railed against the justice system on Facebook after a Canadian appeals court upheld a conviction against him and his wife. David Stephan and his wife, Collet, were convicted in 2016 of failing to provide the necessities of life for their child after they used natural remedies like maple syrup to treat their 19-month-old son’s illness.

The pair administered natural remedies to their son, Ezekiel, after they thought he was suffering from the flu or croup, according to Vice News. The child died in 2012. Stephan was sentenced to four months in jail while his wife was put under house arrest for three months, CBC reported.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Stephan lashed out about the court system, alleging that there was falsified evidence and manipulation as well as an “elaborate cover-up.”

“I have come to realize that within the current system there is no room for justice and truth,” Stephan wrote. “There is no humanity and there is definitely no love.”

Stephan said he was cautioned not to post any such things on social media but did so anyway.

“I have been strongly cautioned to keep quiet as these types of posts could influence the outcome of court decisions, bail hearings, etc.,” he wrote. “But the world needs more people that are willing to take a stand for truth, regardless of the cost.”

Stephan and his wife administered home remedies to the child in 2012 after he showed signs of sickness. The parents gave him treatments like smoothies with ginger, horseradish and apple cider vinegar, among other things, according to the Washington Post. When the toddler began to have trouble breathing, they finally took him to a hospital.

Ezekiel died at the hospital from empyema and bacterial meningitis, both of which would likely have been cured with antibiotics, the Lethbridge Herald reported at the time.

A year after Ezekiel’s death, the parents were charged with failing to provide the necessities of life. They were found guilty in 2016 and had their conviction upheld this year. In addition to jail time and house arrest, they were ordered to complete 240 hours of community service and take their other children to a doctor at least once a year.

Stephan and his wife, who have three other children, said they were also welcoming another baby. He shared a photo of his pregnant wife and children on Facebook alongside the post about their conviction.

“During the court case it was well recognized that we were extremely loving and attentive parents to Ezekiel,” Stephan said in the post. “As such, upon the jury coming out with the guilty verdict, one of the crown prosecutors made the statement that ‘sometimes love just isn’t enough.’ With all of the corruption, deception, murdering and greed that I see plaguing humanity and finding its way into the highest levels of government, I argue that it isn’t that ‘love isn’t just enough’ but rather that there just isn’t enough love.”