Both the Crown and defence asked a judge Monday that an Alberta girl convicted of killing her family be sentenced under a rare provision designed to emphasize rehabilitation.

The girl, Canada's youngest convicted multiple murderer, was only 12 when she murdered her parents and eight-year-old brother in their Medicine Hat home on April 22, 2006.

The killings in April 2006 shocked the city of Medicine Hat, Alta.
(CBC)

She was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in July, after a jury deliberated for three hours in Court of Queen's Bench in Medicine Hat, about 300 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

The girl, who is now 14, faces a sentence of up to 10 years, with a maximum of six years in jail and four years of supervision in the community.

But she could qualify for a rarely used type of sentence, known as the intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision sentence.

Seen as an alternative for young violent offenders, the sentence allows them to serve their time in a young offender centre, a forensic psychiatric hospital and a group home before being released into the community.

A psychological assessment determined the girl suffers from several personality disorders, but is a good candidate for rehabilitation.

A judge from the Court of Queen's Bench in Medicine Hat, Alta., is expected to sentence the girl this week.
(CBC)

"She acknowledges she's in need of treatment and knows she needs the best treatment available," the girl's lawyer, Tim Foster, told the court Monday.

"She's never been of the view that she'd just walk away from all of this."

To qualify for the sentence, which is set up under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, young offenders must be diagnosed with some form of mental disorder or emotional disturbance.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Cleary asked the judge Monday for the maximum 10-year sentence for the girl, who refuses to admit any responsibility in the killings.

'She's never been of the view that she'd just walk away from all of this.'

—Tim Foster, defence lawyer

But Cleary agreed with Foster that the time would best be served under the intensive rehabilitative custody program.

"It is clear that this is a young person who is disturbed and faces big challenges to become part of society," Cleary said, pointing out the girl needs as much time as possible in treatment.

The defence is asking for seven years with credit for 18 months the girl has already spent in custody.

A judge will look at pre-sentencing reports and Monday's arguments before handing down a sentence on Nov. 8.

The girl's boyfriend at the time, 24-year-old Jeremy Steinke, is also charged with three counts of first-degree murder in relation to the case. He is awaiting trial.

With files from the Canadian Press