In a surprise move, a Delta man pleaded guilty Monday to the second-degree murder of his young daughter, two weeks after his trial for first-degree murder began.

Lakhvinder Kahlon will be sentenced Thursday for stabbing and beheading his 2½-year-old daughter Rajvinder last January, after the B.C. Supreme Court hears evidence from a psychiatric assessment.

After Kahlon was arrested for the death, police and family members said he was unemployed from his job in construction and depressed about financial problems. According to some unconfirmed reports, friends said Kahlon was also depressed that he had three daughters, but no son.

The case raised questions because it took place shortly after other high-profile crimes involving domestic violence in the South Asian community in British Columbia.

South Asian community deals with stereotypes: professor

Indira Prahst, a professor of sociology at Langara College in Vancouver and an activist within the South Asian community, said it's clear there are some behaviours in certain cultures that indicate preference for male children, but she says it's dangerous to generalize.

"Certain stereotypes have truths, but we need to understand the context in which those stereotypes might have emerged," said Prahst.

"The problem with a stereotype is, when we generalize and assume that, all behaviour or people representative of a certain community end up being portrayed in this particular light."

If that happens, an opportunity to address the pressures or problems that may have driven someone to commit an act of domestic violence is missed, she said.

Prahst believes it is positive that the South Asian community has acknowledged the issue with various community forums focused on domestic violence and increased outreach work, but it has been complicated work.

"It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we're speaking out, trying to address it, empower women, and, on the other hand, we're accused of airing dirty laundry and in some way, perpetuating the stereotype that there's a problem in the South Asian community," she said.

But she warns relegating action on domestic violence to just one community is foolhardy and potentially a recipe for future trouble

"The community is to be commended for owning up that there is a problem, and there are other communities that should start to do the same," she said.