The man accused of dousing his girlfriend with acid in Longueuil will remain behind bars for now.
Nikolas Stefanatos appeared at Longueuil courthouse Tuesday hoping to regain his freedom, but was instead ordered by Justice Claude Provost to remain in jail. Provost stressing that the charges against him areserious, calling it a “barbaric” act.
The judge also stated that the accused, on multiple occasions, failed to appear in court. Provost said he felt Stefanatos is a risk to society and said questioned his concept of relationships with women.
In August, 29-year-old Tanya St-Arnauld was burned by acid following a domestic dispute. Due to the extent of her injuries, she was immersed in an artificial coma at the major burn unit of Montreal’s Hotel-Dieu Hospital.
Counsel for the accused, Mélanie Gregoire, asked that her client be placed in a treatment centre,due to his long time substance abuse. The judge did not rule out the possibility, but wants strict procedures in place should that route be taken.
Relatives of the victim appeared satisfied with the judge’s decision Tuesday to deny bail to Stefanatos. The victim’s mother, Linda St-Arnauld, said it was a good start. Her friend, Amelie Decelles has meanwhile expressed relief that the case is being taken seriously.
The victim is recovering – the scars from the incident may end up being largely psychological.
