Losing a child due to horrific circumstances is painful enough. What makes it doubly painful is when parents cannot pursue the alleged killer all because the suspect was also a child himself.

Lee Bonneau, a 6-year-old child from Canada's Saskatchewan province, was found dead on Aug 28 in a wooded area on the Kahkewistahaw First Nation with serious head injuries. His killer was a child below 12 years old.

Fields of canola and flax on the Saskatchewan Prairie.

"I will confirm that the person responsible for Lee Bonneau's death is under the age of 12. Any further comment on this tragedy will have to await our media availability," Sergeant Craig Cleary told the Post.

Results of the autopsy showed young Bonneau sustained injuries from an assault, confirming homicide theories.

However, justice may not be served for the untimely death. No charges may be filed because the prime suspect in the case is under the age of 12. The law states that any child under the age of 12 cannot be charged with homicide.

"It's extremely rare for someone under the age of 12, let alone a youth, a young person but somebody under the age of 12 to be involved in this kind of intentional conduct," Leo Russomanno, an Ottawa criminal defence lawyer who is not involved in the case, told the Post.

"If you look at the Youth Criminal Justice Act, it talks about our societal responsibility for young persons - that's 12-18," he said. "I think by extension we bear a similar, if not greater, responsibility over children under the age of 12.

Reports said authorities knew the suspect to be a troubled child, according to the CBC, based on previous investigations. The child reportedly has been taken into the care of social services.

"It's just so sad, and if the rumours are true, and someone that young is responsible, then nothing will happen -- there's nothing they can do," Mary Jo Herman was by Sun News.