A woman found not criminally responsible for stabbing a stranger to death in a downtown Toronto drugstore a decade ago has been granted an absolute discharge after an Ontario board concluded she no longer poses a significant threat to public safety.
In a decision issued last week, the Ontario Review Board says Rohinie Bisesar has shown insight into her situation and dealt with adversity, disappointment and other challenges “in an exemplary fashion.”
The board, which decides if and how not criminally responsible patients should be detained, says Bisesar is ready to be released from its jurisdiction, thanks to the help of her psychiatrist and her own “unwavering commitment … to do everything possible she could to get better.”
Bisesar, who has schizophrenia, killed Rosemarie Junor, 28, in a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto’s underground PATH network on Dec. 11, 2015.
She was found not criminally responsible in a one-day trial in November 2018.
At the time, a psychiatrist testified she was in the throes of a psychotic breakdown with untreated schizophrenia when she walked into the store and stabbed Junor.
Bisesar was detained in a mental health hospital until late 2021, when she started living in the community, the board document said.
“While the tragedy cannot be undone and will always be on our minds, Ms. Bisesar no longer is a significant threat to the safety of the public, and the law requires that an absolute discharge must be imposed,” the board wrote.
“Ms. Bisesar’s commitment to her present health has substantially contributed to this result. The board knowledges the effort Ms. Bisesar has put into her recovery and wishes her well in her next chapter.”