Pierre Ny St-Amand, the bus driver who drove into a daycare in Laval, Quebec, killing two children and injuring six others, has been found not criminally responsible for his actions due to mental illness. The verdict was delivered by Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Downs following joint recommendations from both the Crown and defence.
Justice Downs confirmed that there was no dispute regarding the facts of the case — Ny St-Amand rammed a city bus into the daycare on February 8, 2023, killing a four-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl. After the crash, witnesses described Ny St-Amand behaving erratically, undressing inside the bus, and yelling incoherently until he was restrained by parents.
The ruling emphasized that Ny St-Amand was experiencing psychosis at the time and was incapable of understanding the nature or wrongfulness of his actions. Two psychiatrists presented evidence that he was suffering from a mental disorder. One expert noted Ny St-Amand’s untreated post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from a traumatic childhood as an orphan in Cambodia, which may have driven him to target the daycare as a manifestation of unresolved trauma.
Although found not criminally responsible, the decision does not equate to an acquittal. Justice Downs acknowledged the emotional toll on the victims’ families and admitted the ruling would not explain the tragedy or provide closure. He also dismissed the notion that a jury trial would have changed the outcome, asserting that the conclusion would have been the same.
Families of the victims reacted with visible grief and frustration, some expressing anger over feeling excluded from the trial process. Many criticized the portrayal of Ny St-Amand as a victim, arguing that everyone deals with hardship, and their voices were not sufficiently heard in court.
Victim impact statements are scheduled for next week, providing families an opportunity to express their pain and the lasting consequences of the event. Meanwhile, the Crown intends to seek a “high-risk accused” designation for Ny St-Amand, which would impose stricter conditions and oversight during any treatment or release from a psychiatric facility.
Source: Swifteradio.com
