Judge cites “hard times,” hot weather in Montreal Jewish assault

A Quebec judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for a man accused of brutally assaulting a Jewish father in front of his children, after a court heard the accused had been “having a hard time."

Source: PICRYL

A Quebec judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for a man accused of brutally assaulting a Jewish father in front of his young children, after a court heard the accused had been “having a hard time” and that hot weather may have played a role.

Sergio Yanes Preciado, 23, is charged with assault causing bodily harm after an attack on Friday at Dickie-Moore Park in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood.

The incident, of which a video went viral on social media, shows the victim lying injured on the ground as his attacker tosses the victim’s kippah into a puddle.

Preciado was arrested on Monday and charged the next day.

On Wednesday, Quebec Court Judge Martin Chalifour ordered a 30-day psychiatric assessment at Montreal’s Philippe Pinel Institute to determine if the accused can be found criminally responsible for his alleged actions.

While the assessment report was placed under seal, Chalifour summarized portions in open court. He said a criminologist found Preciado had “delirious ideas linked to his actions,” had used drugs in the past, and had faced “difficult moments” after losing his job at a cinema around Easter.

The judge also referenced the criminologist’s suggestion that “the hot weather experienced in Montreal on the day in question may have played a role in what happened.”

Chalifour noted that Preciado’s mother corroborated some of the mental health concerns. The criminologist recommended further evaluation to assess his criminal responsibility.

The accused consented to the evaluation and will remain in custody until his next court date on September 12.

The case has sparked outrage from members of Montreal’s Jewish community and beyond.

“Man brutally assaults a Jew in broad daylight, and the judge is finding every way to justify the behaviour away because the guy was ‘having a hard time’,” Montreal Jewish consultant Anthony Koch wrote on X.

“Our country’s justice system is a sham, and conservatives need to dedicate themselves to fixing it.”

The attack comes amid heightened concerns about antisemitic incidents across Canada.

Israeli diaspora affairs Minister Amichai Chikli recently said that Canada is “marching towards the abyss,” when describing rising antisemitism in the country.