Less than two months after coming close to death during a violent gratuitous attack in the heart of the Longueuil courthouse, a court interpreter is already back at work, serene and without hatred towards his assailant.
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“The doctors told my wife the white lie that I was going to be okay to reassure her, when I wasn’t at all. They were afraid for me,” said Hai Thach, deadpan.
He was encountered in the corridors of the Montreal courthouse yesterday, work briefcase in hand.
Since Friday, the 71-year-old court interpreter has been back in court, translating into French, English, Vietnamese and Mandarin, without revealing anything about the terrible attack he suffered on the 9th. last January. That day, an individual armed with knives managed to enter the Longueuil courthouse.
The first floor of the Longueuil courthouse became a crime scene after a knife attack on January 9.
Photo Agence QMI, Maxime Deland
And for some unknown reason, he then targeted the court interpreter, who was stabbed in the neck. The blade passed only a few millimeters from the carotid artery. The victim took refuge in a bathroom, before being rescued by special constables.
“I don’t remember anything, not even the beatings. I learned about what happened to me by reading the news stories about me,” says Mr. Thach.
- Listen to the interview with Michaël Nguyen, journalist at Journal de Montréal on Alexandre Dubé via QUB radio :
Miraculous
Rushed to hospital, his condition was so critical that doctors believed he would not survive. He was even called a miracle.
He also says he is 80% recovered: he still walks with difficulty and has some language difficulties.
The alleged perpetrator of the attack, Alexandre Garcés, 44, was arrested on site to be accused of attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons.
Photo taken from the Facebook account of Alexandre Garcés
No anger
Mr. Thach assures that he has “no anger or frustration” looking back on the events.
“Either he is sick and therefore needs care. Either he wanted to attack the system and in his eyes, I represented the system. But he doesn’t hate me, he hates the system,” he puts things into perspective.
An evaluation of Garcés’ mental state was ordered to determine whether he suffered from mental disorders of a nature that would not incur criminal liability. He will return at the end of the month to the Longueuil courthouse.
Mr. Thach instead wants to look toward the future. He says he is grateful for all the support he has received from those in the system.
“I am honored and touched, I am moved. […] The friendships here are irreplaceable,” he emphasizes with a little tremor in his voice.
This is also why he wanted to come back to work.
“It’s a passion, a second life. This is my reason for being,” mentioned Hai Thach to Newspaper, in connection with his work as a court interpreter for around thirty years.
As for reinforced security in courthouses in greater Montreal following the attack, Mr. Thach emphasizes that it is a necessity.
“I deserve the attack on me to change things,” he said, refraining from commenting further.
Many speakers called for increased security, as required for years.
Searches have since been imposed at the entrance to the courthouses of Longueuil, Laval and Saint-Jérôme.