Quebec’s Crown prosecutors’ office has asked that the man accused of assaulting a Jewish father in front of his children at a Montreal park last week be evaluated by a criminologist.
The Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) is hoping the accused, Sergio Yanes Preciado, can be seen by a criminologist working at Montreal’s Philippe-Pinel Institute before his next court appearance Wednesday morning.
The criminologist would assess the man’s clinical condition, social situation, therapeutic needs, and possible risk of recidivism and violence. The evaluation could include an interview with his family or anyone who knows him well.
The service is designed to assist the court in the clinical and legal guidance of an accused person. The DPCP tells CityNews it is different from a psychiatric evaluation.
Background:
The 23-year-old suspect was arrested Monday and has been charged with assault causing bodily harm.
Yanes Preciado appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge from a detention centre in Montreal’s north end. The Crown objected to his release, and he is scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a bail hearing.
Quebec court Judge Éric de Champlain forbade the accused from contacting the alleged victim.
Victim and family remain ‘shocked’
Zev Feldman is the victim’s brother-in-law and says his family member wishes to remain anonymous.
“His family is still recovering and it takes a lot of time to process, not just for kids, even for himself,” he said. “The family is coming together as every family should in such a situation. We’re trying to do the best possible.
“Obviously this was a shock, this was never expected to happen. So we’re still kind of in the processing mode.”
Police allege the suspect was in the splash pad at Dickie Moore Park on Friday afternoon when he approached the 32-year-old Jewish father and sprayed him with the contents of his water bottle. The suspect then pushed the father to the ground and punched him several times in the face and kneed him, police say.
The incident was filmed by a witness, with a 29-second video circulating online showing the assault. A child is seen clinging to their father during the attack at the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension park.
The video does not show what led to the incident. After the assault, the attacker is seen picking up items in a grocery bag and tossing what appears to be a kippah — a traditional Jewish head covering — into the splash pad.
Police say the father sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
The incident was widely condemned by members of the political class, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Quebec Premier François Legault.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies in Toronto issued a statement on Tuesday welcoming the news that suspect was arrested and charged.
They are calling for full accountability.
“This is a stark wake-up call to our leaders that Jews are not safe in their own communities,” said FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt, in a press release. “Jewish Canadians are facing an unprecedented wave of targeted crimes – from physical violence and verbal and online threats to hate-fueled vandalism – yet too often, the consequences are minimal. This must end. Justice must be served to the fullest extent, and those who commit these heinous acts of hate must be held fully accountable.”
‘An arrest isn’t everything’
Feldman says his family is following up on the court case closely and want to see suspect face repercussions.
“We believe he knew exactly what he was doing,” said Feldman. “We hope he’s going to get the consequences this action requires.”
Feldman says receiving justice will require many steps.
“One of the pieces, yes it’s a crucial piece, is an arrest — but it’s not everything. An arrest isn’t everything,” he said.
Feldman says the family is taking this very personally and this is something that “can’t be tolerated.”
“Whatever the outcome of this story will be, will send a message to any future attacker,” he said. “If someone plans on doing it, if the response to this is harsh, it’s going to discourage it. If the response is just a slap on the wrist and go out, you’re afraid the opposite will happen. But there has to be a sense of seriousness that we want to see justice served.”
