Four-year-old Jérémy Bastien died shortly after paramedics arrived at the residence his father was sharing with Stéphanie Meunier in December 2008. (Family photo)

A Montreal woman accused of beating her boyfriend's four-year-old son to death will stand trial on a charge of first-degree murder.

Stéphanie Meunier, 31, had initially been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the case dating back to December 2008.

Meunier wept as Judge Hélène Morin announced her decision Friday at the Montreal courthouse.

The defence had requested the charge be reduced to manslaughter.

During the preliminary hearing, Crown attorney Louis Bouthillier argued that the charge should be bumped up.

"While the murder was being committed, or … within the same time frame the accused harassed the victim in a criminal manner, that is that the victim was subjected to mistreatment by the accused," said Bouthillier

Jérémy Bastien died shortly after emergency officials arrived at the residence Meunier shared with the child's father in the city's Pointe-aux-Trembles district on Dec. 6, 2008.

Meunier, who had been caring for the boy, was arrested and has remained in custody since then.

A publication ban covers the evidence presented during the preliminary hearing.

The mother of four faces a life sentence with at least 25 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole.

Jérémy's biological mother, Julie Perron, applauded the judge's ruling.

She said her son, whom she hadn't seen in the four months before he died, was like "a ray of sunshine."

Perron said she could feel his presence in the courtroom on Friday.

Meunier will return to court in September to learn the date of her trial.