Toronto mother acquitted in death of disabled daughter launches $10.5-million lawsuit against police, city

Cindy Ali, the Toronto mother who was acquitted in the 2011 death of her 16-year-old daughter Cynara after serving more than four years in prison, is suing Toronto police and the city for more than $10 million.

Cindy Ali, the Toronto mother who was acquitted in the 2011 death of her 16-year-old daughter Cynara after serving more than four years in prison, is suing Toronto police and the city for more than $10 million.

In a statement of claim filed at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in August, Ali and her husband, Allan, allege that the defendants were “negligent” in their investigation into Cynara’s death, which resulted in Ali’s “false imprisonment” in 2016.

“This action arises from the defendants’ determination to convict Cindy of first-degree murder for the tragic 2011 death of her daughter, Cynara,” the lawsuit reads.

The lead investigator on the case, Frank Skubic, and a responding firefighter at the scene, Semahj Bujokas, are also listed as defendants, alongside the Toronto Police Services Board and the City of Toronto.

The suit alleges that the defendants owed the parents a duty of care, which they failed to meet following the death of Cynara, who lived with a severe form of cerebral palsy and suffered from life-threatening seizures.

Statements of defence have not been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court.

The Toronto Police Services Board and City of Toronto both said they couldn’t comment on the matter as it’s before the courts. In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Kevin McGiveney, who said he has been retained as counsel for all the defendants in this case, said the allegations will “certainly be defended.”