No psychiatrist's claim that a high-risk status is unwarranted.
The evaluation of the bus driver involved in the Laval daycare tragedy is ongoing, with a psychiatrist recommending against granting high-risk accused status to the individual.
Dr. Alexandre Hudon, the psychiatrist responsible for the evaluation, states in his report to the court that imposing high-risk accused status would not provide any additional benefit in risk management. He also notes that the Mental Health Review Board's legal framework is sufficient to evaluate the bus driver and prevent a relapse.
The bus driver, Pierre Ny St-Amand, is currently under the jurisdiction of the Mental Health Review Board. According to Dr. Hudon, the return of St-Amand to society would increase his chances of relapse. He estimates that St-Amand could relapse and fall back into psychosis if he does not have the necessary framework.
St-Amand's limited introspection skills may cause difficulties in managing stress and recognising precursors of another psychosis if released from the Philippe-Pinel Institute. Psychologist Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt, who is also involved in St-Amand's evaluation, notes that if St-Amand is released, it would be under very strict conditions due to the risk of relapse.
St-Amand's progress, however, is showing some signs of improvement, according to both psychologist Vaillancourt and Dr. Hudon. St-Amand is opening up more, but in very small steps, according to Vaillancourt.
The intense media coverage of the tragedy and judicial procedures is a stress factor for St-Amand. Dr. Hudon revealed that it was necessary to tear off a page and hide information from St-Amand when he panicked and shouted upon seeing a newspaper article reporting the tragedy.
The hearings for determining high-risk accused status for the bus driver took place on Tuesday in Laval. St-Amand is defended by lawyers Véronique Talbot and Julien Lespérance Hudon, while Karine Dalphond and Simon Blais represent the public prosecutor's office.
Hearings will resume on Wednesday. It is important to note that if St-Amand is not declared a high-risk accused, he will not necessarily be released from his detention at the institute.
At this time, there are no search results providing information about the institution where St-Amand is currently held. The Philippe-Pinel Institute's risk management strategies have been effective in keeping St-Amand's risk of committing violent acts at a moderate level due to the structure and framework in place.
The stigmatization related to high-risk accused status would cause stress, according to Dr. Hudon. It remains to be seen whether the Mental Health Review Board will grant high-risk accused status to the bus driver or not.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
