The murder of three people in 24 hours in the Montreal area, possibly by a young man with a psychiatric history released “under conditions” by the Mental Disorders Review Board, brings to light the flaws in the system when delinquency and mental health intertwine, says Josée Rioux, president of the Professional Order of Criminologists of Quebec.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
“Mental health disorders are the poor relation of delinquency: we don’t know what to do with that,” summarizes Josée Rioux, criminologist and lecturer at Laval University.
Abdulla Shaikh, the 26-year-old man shot dead by Montreal police on Thursday morning, is the main suspect in the three homicides committed in Montreal and Laval on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Among other things, he had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and narcissistic and psychosocial personality traits, according to court documents.
In 2016, he was charged, among other things, with sexual and weapon assault. His trial was scheduled for next January, in Laval.
In another mischief case in 2018, he was found not criminally responsible. He had since been followed in psychiatry and had been hospitalized until 2021. His condition required an annual review by the Mental Disorders Review Board, the last of which was carried out in March 2022.
According to our information, the suspect had been hospitalized at least once at the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry Philippe-Pinel.
Abdulla Shaikh therefore lived in a form of “conditional release” where the hospital had the power to have him readmitted if he did not respect his conditions, explains Josée Rioux.
A hole in the service offer
The Commission did not fail in the task by allowing the release under certain conditions of Mr. Shaikh, considers from the outset Mr.me Rioux. This commission has the heavy task of protecting society while promoting the social reintegration of people with mental disorders.
Specific measures must be taken to properly manage the two components: mental health and delinquency. And I think there’s a hole [dans les services].
Josée Rioux, President of the Professional Order of Criminologists of Quebec
Although Abdulla Shaikh was considered “still a significant risk to public safety due to his mental state”, his psychiatrist, Dr.r Martin Vézina, recommended that he remain free subject to numerous conditions, including living at the same address, submitting to urine tests and the recommendations of the treating team.
Did Mr. Shaikh have the necessary follow-up in the community to ensure public safety? “I promote social reintegration – I firmly believe in it – but to achieve good social reintegration, you have to have the means,” replies M.me Rioux.
Not all people with mental health issues are murderers, says criminologist Maria Mourani. “But unfortunately, there is a minority who escape the system or who have not been taken seriously by the system, with the consequences that we know,” she laments.
A delusional modus operandi
The modus operandi of the assassin – qualified as a mass killer by Maria Mourani because he killed several people in less than 24 hours – put a flea in the ear of the criminologist: “It was systematic: entering the victim’s bubble, shooting it at point-blank range, in the head, was not insignificant. You really want to kill the person when you do that, and you consider that if you pull them somewhere else, they’re not going to die. »
The three victims had no connection between them, neither age nor religious affiliation. “The only link is that they are men,” notes Mme Mourani.
According to the criminologist, the murderer’s way of doing things shows that he was not in touch with reality.
The people in front of him were no longer people. It’s as if he was in a kind of delirium.
Maria Mourani, criminologist
A delirium which could very well have continued and made other victims if he had not been chased and arrested by the police, supports the criminologist. “I am convinced of it. »
Focus on prevention
Josée Rioux believes that delinquency intervention services should be “more coordinated” in terms of service provision and follow-up. But to get there, it takes resources.
She notes in particular that the investment of more than a billion dollars over five years, announced last January by the Quebec government, does not focus enough on the issue of delinquency. ” [Les délinquants] end up with nothing, and we are not protecting society well, ”she notes.
“As long as we do not have concerted actions [dans les services en délinquance et santé mentale], we are going to hand that over to the police, unfortunately, she adds. And right now, they have their hands full and they’re doing everything they can. »