Psychologist says stabber could have experienced a psychotic break before UW attack

'Ideology' debated in UW attacker terrorism charge What role does ideology play in the sentencing of the man who pled guilty to four charges in an attack at the University of Waterloo?

A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo.

Villalba-Aleman has pled guilty to four assault-related charges for the June 2023 attack. He admitted to going into the classroom and stabbing the professor and two students with a large kitchen knife. Audio of the attack and video of the aftermath were submitted as evidence in the case during his plea hearing.

At the time of the attack, Villalba-Aleman was a 24-year-old international student who had recently graduated from the university.

Psychologist’s report

At his sentencing hearing Wednesday, the psychologist testified that Villalba-Aleman had a history of mental health challenges.

Dr. Smita Vir Tyagi said he struggled with low self-esteem at a young age, had trouble coping with failure and had an inability to connect on an emotional level.

"Other than in academics, he is very hard on himself and sees himself as a failure,” she explained.

Tyagi added that, in her opinion, Villalba-Aleman is likely on the autism spectrum and has shown signs of ADHD and bi-polar disorder.

"At times he has high energy and racing thoughts... and is not able to control his thoughts.”

Tyagi also told the court Villalba-Aleman made several suicide attempts.

She said moving to Canada from Ecuador, combined with the isolation of the pandemic, had a detrimental effect on his wellbeing.

"[Villalba-Aleman] may have been in a state of psychosis in the weeks leading up to the attack.”

Without school and friends, Tyagi added, he didn’t have much else in his life.

"Living with his own thoughts, things he was reading on the internet and had no counterbalance to challenge his extreme thinking.”

Tyagi’s expertise was meant to aid the court in assessing Villalba-Aleman’s mental state at the time of the attack, and will be one of the many factors that the judge will consider when determining his sentence.

More from the hearing

Earlier this week, victim impact statements were read in court. Katy Fulfer, the professor who Villalba-Aleman attacked, was there to share hers in person.

“In the aftermath, my sleep was disrupted,” she said. “Sometimes I would wake up, face soaked in tears from crying in my sleep.”

On Tuesday, the Crown argued that the triple stabbing should be treated as a terrorist act.

Federal prosecutors explained that Villalba-Aleman was ideologically-motivated when he entered a gender studies classroom and attacked three people.

The hearing will continue until the end of the week. It’s unclear if the judge will make a ruling on the terrorism charge by the end of the week.