A Very Public, Toxic and Noxious Risk
As though there isn't enough to worry about when it comes to life-threatening risks in this world we inhabit.
All things in their proper perspective; it's far more likely that we'll risk life and limb crossing a busy street at the wrong time, climbing a ladder in the prosecution of some household task, slipping on an icy sidewalk during the winter, driving through fog with inadequate care, become the recipient of an harmful incorrect dose of medicine while recovering from surgery in hospital - or any number of other incidental, yet life-threatening occurrences.
And then there are the imponderables, the issues we rarely think of as being anything but rare and unlikely events such as being hit by lightning, attacked by a shark in ignorance of their presence at a holiday destination, have a piece of equipment detach from a passing truck and hit your windshield sending your vehicle out of control with predictably dire consequences, or a hot-air balloon collapsing precipitously and directly over your back lawn while you're blissfully napping in the sun.
The latter category might also be a good fit for a stranger suddenly directing his disturbed attention at your person while out in a public venue, and attacking you with malevolent intent. Certainly unpredictable, as much as the event that occurred last week in the Toronto subway system when a woman tripped over a bag placed dangerously at the bottom of an escalator as she descended, causing her to fall onto the train tracks.
Back to the stranger hoisting a deadly weapon and stabbing you repeatedly, then walking calmly by as though nothing untoward had occurred. Such things do happen. One such event did in fact occur, in Toronto last week, when a man by the name of Samad Dabiri was apprehended and charged with attempted murder, assault with a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.
He had committed an unprovoked attack on a 26-year-old woman who just happened to be passing by on the same street upon which he stood. He stabbed her three times, then sauntered off, while stricken passers-by did their best to come to the woman's aid, saving her life in the process. She is now listed in serious but stable condition in intensive care at St. Michael's Hospital.
What's telling about this singular event is that five years earlier this same man, an immigrant from Iran, had walked up to a 65-year-old man seated on a bench, stabbed him in the stomach and then unconcernedly walked on. For this assault, Mr. Dabiri was found not criminally responsible, and he was committed to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in July, 2003.
He was released on a conditional discharge in 2006. He was diagnosed with a delusional disorder. "He consistently maintained that he had been followed by Iranian and Canadian Intelligence services and by the RCMP and CSIS and that these services were against him." It was on record also that he had earlier threatened to kill other tenants at the Toronto rooming house where he then lived.
Yet the Ontario Review Board saw fit to have this man out on day passes in 2004, giving him a conditional discharge in 2006. Centre officials' report to the review board described him as having "flawless" behaviour. "It is the unanimous opinion of the clinical team that Mr. Dabiri no longer poses a significant threat to the safety of the public."
Oops, after his absolute discharge, free to leave, no criminal record, they also noted "the accused's imperfect insight" into his mental illness. "He continued to endorse his persecutory delusions. He continually stated that he did not have a mental problem." Logically, wouldn't alarm bells go off? This mentally unstable, violence-prone, and conscience-free man roaming the streets at will.
Diagnosed with mental illness violent offenders are not held to account for their actions. They may maim, torture, murder innocent people, but because they are held to a different standard than others deemed to be in full possession of their mental faculties, they are not held responsible for what they do. Where does that leave the rest of us?
And here's another alert to the dysfunctionality of this particular system of diagnosis and release: Area police had no information with respect to this man being out in the community. No criminal record, no official alert, no ability to track his whereabouts in protection of the public at large.
"There's absolutely no entry on our police data system... Nothing comes up; no warnings, no cautions. He's never actually been convicted per se... He's found guilty but not criminally responsible, so nothing actually goes onto his record. Once he received that absolute discharge ... he's a free man with no restrictions on him whatsoever."
This, from a spokesperson for the Toronto police. Evidently Immigration Canada officials have an eye on this case. Obviously, his entry to this country might have been better vetted. Fact is, Canada has more than enough home-grown severely mentally compromised individuals posing threats to the community at large.
Need we really import more? But the full story is that regardless of where these unfortunate people were originally hatched, our woefully inadequate system linking the medical-mental-health community with security enforcement officers are not adequately protecting society at large.
The fact that people exist whose mental instability equates with a very real threat to the public is in and of itself a profound worry. That they will be excused of responsibility as a result of their mental incapacity to fully understand the implications of what they do, is another cause for concern. Surely we can do better than this...?!
All things in their proper perspective; it's far more likely that we'll risk life and limb crossing a busy street at the wrong time, climbing a ladder in the prosecution of some household task, slipping on an icy sidewalk during the winter, driving through fog with inadequate care, become the recipient of an harmful incorrect dose of medicine while recovering from surgery in hospital - or any number of other incidental, yet life-threatening occurrences.
And then there are the imponderables, the issues we rarely think of as being anything but rare and unlikely events such as being hit by lightning, attacked by a shark in ignorance of their presence at a holiday destination, have a piece of equipment detach from a passing truck and hit your windshield sending your vehicle out of control with predictably dire consequences, or a hot-air balloon collapsing precipitously and directly over your back lawn while you're blissfully napping in the sun.
The latter category might also be a good fit for a stranger suddenly directing his disturbed attention at your person while out in a public venue, and attacking you with malevolent intent. Certainly unpredictable, as much as the event that occurred last week in the Toronto subway system when a woman tripped over a bag placed dangerously at the bottom of an escalator as she descended, causing her to fall onto the train tracks.
Back to the stranger hoisting a deadly weapon and stabbing you repeatedly, then walking calmly by as though nothing untoward had occurred. Such things do happen. One such event did in fact occur, in Toronto last week, when a man by the name of Samad Dabiri was apprehended and charged with attempted murder, assault with a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.
He had committed an unprovoked attack on a 26-year-old woman who just happened to be passing by on the same street upon which he stood. He stabbed her three times, then sauntered off, while stricken passers-by did their best to come to the woman's aid, saving her life in the process. She is now listed in serious but stable condition in intensive care at St. Michael's Hospital.
What's telling about this singular event is that five years earlier this same man, an immigrant from Iran, had walked up to a 65-year-old man seated on a bench, stabbed him in the stomach and then unconcernedly walked on. For this assault, Mr. Dabiri was found not criminally responsible, and he was committed to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in July, 2003.
He was released on a conditional discharge in 2006. He was diagnosed with a delusional disorder. "He consistently maintained that he had been followed by Iranian and Canadian Intelligence services and by the RCMP and CSIS and that these services were against him." It was on record also that he had earlier threatened to kill other tenants at the Toronto rooming house where he then lived.
Yet the Ontario Review Board saw fit to have this man out on day passes in 2004, giving him a conditional discharge in 2006. Centre officials' report to the review board described him as having "flawless" behaviour. "It is the unanimous opinion of the clinical team that Mr. Dabiri no longer poses a significant threat to the safety of the public."
Oops, after his absolute discharge, free to leave, no criminal record, they also noted "the accused's imperfect insight" into his mental illness. "He continued to endorse his persecutory delusions. He continually stated that he did not have a mental problem." Logically, wouldn't alarm bells go off? This mentally unstable, violence-prone, and conscience-free man roaming the streets at will.
Diagnosed with mental illness violent offenders are not held to account for their actions. They may maim, torture, murder innocent people, but because they are held to a different standard than others deemed to be in full possession of their mental faculties, they are not held responsible for what they do. Where does that leave the rest of us?
And here's another alert to the dysfunctionality of this particular system of diagnosis and release: Area police had no information with respect to this man being out in the community. No criminal record, no official alert, no ability to track his whereabouts in protection of the public at large.
"There's absolutely no entry on our police data system... Nothing comes up; no warnings, no cautions. He's never actually been convicted per se... He's found guilty but not criminally responsible, so nothing actually goes onto his record. Once he received that absolute discharge ... he's a free man with no restrictions on him whatsoever."
This, from a spokesperson for the Toronto police. Evidently Immigration Canada officials have an eye on this case. Obviously, his entry to this country might have been better vetted. Fact is, Canada has more than enough home-grown severely mentally compromised individuals posing threats to the community at large.
Need we really import more? But the full story is that regardless of where these unfortunate people were originally hatched, our woefully inadequate system linking the medical-mental-health community with security enforcement officers are not adequately protecting society at large.
The fact that people exist whose mental instability equates with a very real threat to the public is in and of itself a profound worry. That they will be excused of responsibility as a result of their mental incapacity to fully understand the implications of what they do, is another cause for concern. Surely we can do better than this...?!
Labels: Health, Social-Cultural Deviations
posted by Pieface @ 5:58 PM
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