MONTREAL - Five experts have concluded that cardiologist Guy Turcotte, the man who stabbed his two children to death in 2009, is too dangerous to release from Montreal's Pinel Institute.
Despite the verdict, the Quebec Review Board for Mental Disorder opened a window for Turcotte to slowly reintegrate with the society: he will be allowed to exit the facility daily for supervised eight-hour outings.
Turcotte and his lawyers were asking for the man to be released with no conditions.
The decision on Tuesday came nearly a year after a controversial verdict where Turcotte was found not criminally responsible for the murders. The Review Board, formed of five experts instead of the normal three, came to the decision after two-and-a-half months of deliberations.
Turcotte stabbed Oliver, 5, and Anne-Sophie, 3, at least 46 times while they slept on February 20, 2009. The murders took place in a house in Piedmont Turcotte had rented after he separated from his wife, Isabelle Gaston, three weeks earlier.
Turcotte then unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide by ingesting windshield wiper fluid.
On July 5, 2011, Turcotte's lawyers argued successfully that the murders were caused by his recent separation, ongoing anxiety issues and a tendency to depression. Gagnon has argued that her ex-husband should not be released.
Pierre Rochette, Turcotte's psychiatrist at Pinel, said he didn't understand why his client snapped.
When Turcotte presented his case to the board, he said he was a changed man and that while he wanted to continue therapy, he wanted to do so outside of the hospital environment.
Six months from now, his case will be reviewed again to decide what kind of risk, if any, he might pose to the general public. It is likely Turcotte will ask to be released with no conditions at that time.
Five experts ruled Tuesday that Guy Turcotte must stay detained for at least six more months, but will be allowed some escorted outings beginning immediately.
They said the trips can be suspended by hospital officials if Turcotte's mental state deteriorates or if public safety is threatened in a significant way.
The Crown and the facility wanted Turcotte to stay at the hospital for at least another year. Turcotte's lawyer argued he was ready to be released into the community.
But the mental-health panel decided neither solution fit Turcotte's case.
"The commission concludes that the accused remains very fragile," says the 17-page ruling.
"The evidence has not shown that (Turcotte) has acquired the skills necessary to meet the very great difficulties he will encounter during his rehabilitation."
Over the next three months, Turcotte will be allowed trips of up to eight hours a day while escorted by a family member. After 90 days, he will be able to leave the facility unescorted, moving gradually up to eight hours a day.
After five months, he will be allowed to leave unescorted up to 16 hours a day and can stay overnight with family members as long as they are with him.
Turcotte is also forbidden from having contact with his ex-wife, Isabelle Gaston, or her new partner, or be within 500 metres of their home or place of employment. Gaston has said she opposes his release and fears for her safety.
A new hearing for Turcotte has been scheduled for this December.
But the experts determined there is no guarantee he would adapt well to the stress of everyday life.
"This great fragility and lack of means developed by the accused to counter it constitutes a real risk of relapse," the ruling states. "This risk is not hypothetical but rather well substantiated by the evidence."
A Crown spokesman in Quebec City says they'll look at the ruling before making any further comment.
Rene Verret said prosecutors have 15 days to appeal the decision.
The Crown has also said it's appealing the criminal verdict because it believes the judge erred in his instructions to the jury. The Quebec Court of Appeal has yet to rule on whether it will hear the case.
