Shoulder daycare tragedy: why should the bus driver never get out of Pinel?

The driver Pierre Ny St-Amand, 53, was in psychosis when he injured children and killed little Jacob Gauthier, 4, and Maëva, 5, rushing into the Ste-Rose of Laval daycare with his bus. He was recognized not on Tuesday and the crown is now requesting that he is recognized at high risk.

This label would make sure that he will not be able to get out of the hospital except in specific cases and will have to return to the court if he wants to obtain outings or release. The lawyers’ lawyers, however, want to make this provision unconstitutional.

According to a report submitted to the Court and obtained by The newspaperthe D^r Sylvain Faucher believes that Ny St-Amand should remain at the National Institute of Legal Psychiatry Philippe-Pinel as long as possible. This is why, according to the legislative psychiatrist.

Little progress since his arrest

The mental state of Ny St-Amand has been the same since its psychotic symptoms have disappeared in the days following its arrival in Pinel. He has been passively participating in his therapies and always has difficulty identifying and describing his emotions.

On several occasions, he disorganized when he was faced with stressful elements, which he cannot identify in advance. He tends to fall into denial and avoidance.

He still doesn’t know why

As judge Eric Downs pointed out during the verdict, “misunderstanding in the face of the inexplicable remains”. Pierre Ny St-Amand does not remember great sides of the tragedy and no explanation could be given to the parents of the small victims, deeply upset.

According to the crown, this creates a significant blindness in past, but also future treatments, of the accused. It is indeed more difficult to teach him how to prevent future psychotic episodes.

His return to society would cause him significant stress

According to psychiatrists, the accumulation of stress of everyday life has partly caused the psychosis of Ny St-Amand. If he is one day released, he will have to face new stressful elements that are not ordinary.

It could be recognized in the street and even undergo reprisals. He will certainly have financial issues and he will have to change jobs and domain. But he feels rather old to reorient himself, noted the psychiatrist. And even if he can always count on the support of his spouse, he will no longer be able to rely on a loved one who had helped him maintain a balance in the past.

Risk of recurrence

Pierre Ny St-Amand poses a minimally moderate risk of violent recurrence, concluded the D^r Mow. “If it is not highly likely that the subject recurrences, if he does it, he risks causing serious damage to the person who will be the victim,” said the legislative psychiatrist. According to research, almost half of people who had a brief psychotic disorder relapse between two and seven years after the first episode.

What is a high risk accused?

It is an exceptional procedure implemented in 2014 to ensure the protection of the public against people who have been recognized not to be responsible and who are considered very dangerous.

To receive this little enviable label, the accused must have committed “brutal” acts due to gestures, the lack of provocation or incapacity for victims to defend themselves. However, there must be a marked probability that the accused is still violent and puts in danger of the life or security of others.