Decapitation in Winnipeg - God's Fault?
On July 30, 2008 Tim McLean was brutally murdered by a psychopath named Vince Li. Apparently he believes he has been hearing God's voice since 2005 and, that day in July, the voices told him that the man sitting next to him was a demon. So he knifed, decapitated and eviscerated Mr. McLean, spreading his organs all over the place.
On March 5, 2009 Justice John Scurfield ruled that Vince Li was not criminally responsible for his actions that day in July. He was not charged with murder and he will not have a criminal record. He will be sent to a mental health institution and be evaluated annually to determine whether he is fit for release. Now the chances are that he will be in this institution for most if not all of his life...so in essence his freedoms have been limited and he is off the streets. The theory behind all of this is troubling to me however.
A man who brutally murdered another may at some point, theoretically, be seen fit for release and not have a criminal record. There is something very wrong with this. While I don't doubt that his mental illness was the reason why he did what he did, the fact is that he did and is responsible for the crime. Yes, he needs help. But the man named Mr. Li held the knife and used it to murder. If, theoretically, after twenty years of treatment, he is determined safe to wander the streets again he may decide to look for a job. An employer doing a criminal reference check will not turn up any evidence of the crime. Hopefully his CV will accurately reflect his years in the mental health institution.
One last point....Mr. Li was admitted to an Ontario hospital in 2005 and diagnosed with schizophrenia. A doctor at the time determined that Mr. Li would likely cause himself or others harm. He nevertheless was able to leave the hospital. Let's hope the three year cycle does not repeat itself.
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