The drugs that were prescribed in prison to the author of the attack in Old Quebec would not have been enough to stabilize a truly schizophrenic person, according to the psychiatrist of the Prosecution.
At the Quebec Detention Center, Carl Girouard was prescribed antidepressants and an antipsychotic – Seroquel – but “at a very low dose to treat psychosis”, according to psychiatrist Sylvain Faucher who testified Thursday in Superior Court.
In his eyes, it is one sign among others that the accused does not suffer from schizophrenia and was not in psychosis when he committed two murders and five attempted murders on Halloween night 2020.
Mr. Faucher is the prosecution’s expert witness. The latter argues that Mr. Girouard had no mental problems allowing him to escape the penalty provided for this type of crime.
“Sir, at the time of the facts, knew what he was doing and he was able to appreciate the quality of it”, decided the psychiatrist.
Dr. Faucher is particularly surprised at the speed with which the alleged delirium of the accused ended on the evening of the attack. Carl Girouard had himself said in his testimony that “his mission” had ceased to make sense after he attacked a young man on the Remparts (his 7th victim). “It’s been six years since [le projet] pushes it and there: poop! He’s not here anymore. He’s able to pull that off. It seems special to me, ”said the expert.
The psychiatrist further points out that his behavior in prison was not that of a schizophrenic, with the exception of one episode where he was seen soliloquizing. “He no longer has any concerns about the future of his ‘mission’. Did his message get through? Did his alter egos react? Nope ! What worries him is his personal situation. »
In his opinion, Carl Girouard is rather affected by “narcissistic traits”, his actions being motivated by a fantasy inspired by video games in which he plays the beautiful role, contrary to his reality.
“He complains that society prevents us from being what we are. Society does not recognize it at its fair value,” mentioned Dr. Faucher. Elements “which suggest”, he says, “resentment”, “devaluation”.
A rare disagreement between the two psychiatrists
Dr. Faucher thus contradicts the testimony of his colleague, the psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland, who testified earlier for the Defence. On Friday, Dr. Chamberland pleaded that Carl Girouard suffered from schizophrenia and was also on the autism spectrum.
Dr. Faucher also doubts this second diagnosis but sees in it, in any case, an “accessory diagnosis in the present case”.
At the beginning of his testimony, he pointed out to the jury that it was very rare for two colleagues to disagree so much on a diagnosis. “Dr. Chamberland and I very often come to the same conclusions. It’s only the second time [qu’ils se contredisent] “.
When a person commits “a totally insane act”, he underlined, “the first instinct is to tell oneself that it is the work of a “sick person”. But “most insane axes are made by non-sick people” who resort to “cognitive distortions” to “allow themselves” to do the worst, he said.
Mr. Faucher is the second expert to be called to the bar by the prosecutors of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP). He had been preceded by Dr. William Pothier, a neuropsychologist whom he himself had commissioned to assess the accused, and whose credibility was strongly attacked by the Defense earlier this week.
The trial is scheduled to continue Friday with the cross-examination of Dr. Faucher.