Beheading Suspect - Not Criminally Responsible?

Beheading Suspect - Not criminally responsible?

Since this is big news where I currently am (unfortunately) residing. I thought I would make a quick, educated comment.“A two-day Winnipeg trial in a case of killing and beheading on a Greyhound bus ended Wednesday with both sides seeking the same verdict — not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder.” CBC.ca According to the report, psychiatrists for the Crown and the defence both agree that Vince Li was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the murder and most likely weeks before, making him unaware of his actions. Li believed he was being told by God to kill McLean who was a ‘force of evil’.

Let me explain, justice is “A state of affairs in which conduct or action is both fair and right, given the circumstances.” – Duhaime Legal Dictionary. Therefore, in this case under these extreme circumstances, the Crown and defence lawyers are asking for Li to be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. These kinds of verdicts (Judge will make his decision tomorrow morning) are not handed out like candy. It is not in the best interest of anyone to do so. After proper evaluation, it was found the Li did indeed meet the proper criteria to be found not criminally responsible. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and at the time of the murder was enduring severe auditory hallucinations.

Of course, there are a bunch of imbeciles in an uproar shouting “justice hasn’t been served!” (Cite above paragraph if you believe it hasn’t). The crime was heinous and despicable in every sense of the word, yes, but what some people are after is revenge, not justice. Unfortunately for them, we don’t live in a totalitarian state. If found not guilty tomorrow by reason of mental disorder, Li will not enter back into society. Instead of being sent to a prison, he will be placed into a provincial psychiatric facility. The victim’s family has been rightfully lobbying for changes in the Criminal Code that would prevent a person from re-entering society who has been found not guilty by reason of mental disorder. If anyone understands mental illness to this severity, they will see the Criminal Code NEEDS a severe change.

Will Li ever re-enter society? The answer is most likely yes at some point down the line. Those who live in Manitoba have seen the holes in the legal system. This would be one of many changes that are needed to be made. He is still guilty (in a sense) but not criminally. For the first time in…many, many years a trail in Winnipeg may have actually come to a sensible end (but, we’ll see). Li needs to be not in a prison, but a mental institution for life. If this ends appropriately, perhaps the Winnipeg police force and the provincial government will start to smarten up and deal with the city’s problems full on (though, this did take place outside of Winnipeg) They [Winnipeg] have lots of them, is murder capital of Canada really something to be proud of? I didn’t think so, do your fucking jobs. That’s what our tax money goes to. Thankfully for my sanity, I’m leaving this hellhole.

~Adam