A Quebec judge has ruled that the woman who was deemed not criminally responsible for leaving her three-year-old daughter in June will continue to be held at the Montreal psychiatric hospital where she has been receiving treatment since July. Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud has decided that she will be permitted supervised outings based on her mental health condition and with the approval of the hospital.
Following a 60-day assessment, a psychiatrist diagnosed the woman with schizoaffective disorder, a condition characterized by periods of depression, mania, and psychotic episodes. The psychiatrist noted that the woman’s mental state showed improvement with medication, although she remains vulnerable.
The woman’s young daughter sparked a frantic search when she went missing in June and was later discovered alive three days later on the side of a highway in Ontario, approximately 150 kilometers away from where she was last seen. The judge’s decision will be valid for three months, after which the woman’s case will be referred to Quebec’s mental disorders review board to determine the appropriate timing and conditions for her potential discharge.
Individuals found not criminally responsible and released by the board are required to attend annual hearings for a mental health evaluation until they are deemed fit to stand trial or receive an absolute discharge.