A 31-year-old man with schizophrenia has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of his father, following substance use shortly after his release from a psychiatric facility. Initially charged with second-degree murder, he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The incident occurred after he became homeless and struggled with severe mental health issues, despite his family’s attempts to secure treatment. His actions resulted in the tragic loss of his father, highlighting the gaps in mental health care.
Young Man Sentenced for Fatal Stabbing of Father
A young man suffering from schizophrenia has received a 15-year prison sentence for fatally stabbing his father after using crack cocaine and cannabis, just days following his release from a psychiatric facility.
Crown prosecutor Jade Coderre highlighted the complexities of the case during the sentencing at the Montreal courthouse. “The defendant’s mental condition inhibited him from having the specific intent to end his father’s life. […] Despite his mental illness, he is still accountable for this crime,” she stated Thursday morning.
Initially charged with second-degree murder, 31-year-old Vithushan Aran entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his father, Visvalingam Aran.
Background and Circumstances of the Crime
In April 2022, Vithushan found himself homeless after being evicted from his apartment in the Centre-Sud area of Montreal. On the day of the tragic incident, he consumed crack and cannabis before going to his parents’ residence. According to reports, he was battling severe schizophrenia, plagued by disturbing auditory hallucinations at the time.
Forensic toxicologist André Dion explained that this combination of substances can result in significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral instability. Once he entered the apartment, Vithushan stabbed his father 23 times, with multiple wounds inflicted to the neck and head.
Witnesses reported seeing him act erratically, and surveillance footage from a nearby subway station captured him in a frenzied state, jumping uncontrollably before collapsing.
Later that evening, Vithushan Aran was apprehended for the murder of his 75-year-old father.
Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2014, Vithushan’s mental health had not stabilized, leading his family to repeatedly seek court orders for his hospitalization and treatment. His sister, Jebitha Visvalingam, expressed their desperation in a letter presented at the hearing, stating, “We pleaded with authorities for intervention, warning of the risks, but our cries for help went unnoticed.”
Vithushan often chose to self-medicate with drugs. Following the family’s relocation from Toronto to Montreal in 2021, he lost access to psychiatric care until he was forcibly admitted to a hospital in October of that year. During that admission, a “high short-term danger risk” was identified, yet he was discharged after a month.
He ceased taking his medication until he was hospitalized again in March 2022, where he made threats against his brother, claiming “his soul would kill his family” and even sending a photo of himself holding a knife.
After another brief hospitalization, Vithushan was released but found himself homeless due to his parents’ refusal to let him stay. The horrific stabbing followed shortly after.
Ms. Visvalingam poignantly noted, “We have lost not only our father but also the brother we once knew, all because the help he needed was never provided while we desperately sought it.”
Due to time served in pre-trial detention, Vithushan Aran has less than 11 years remaining on his sentence.