The student accused of threatening students and staff at Paul Hubert High School in Rimouski is said to have planned a murder, the courthouse said Monday. The young man was back in court for his release investigation.
The Crown and the defense disagree on the fate of the defendant in the ongoing proceedings. Prosecutors are refusing to release the accused, saying he could pose a risk to society.
It’s not just the charge, it’s the context of the crime. [Il y a] Crown prosecutor Me Florence Charlebois-Villeneuve also pointed to the risk of another serious crime being committed. For his part, defense attorney Me Hugo Caissy believes the accused could be released under supervision.
To convince the judge, he had the teenager’s parents testify at the hearing. The mother and father answered questions from both parties. Among other things, it was about parental controls on the family computer to limit search and access to various websites.
If the accused is released, the parents will consider homeschooling because the accused could not return to the Paul Hubert School.
The hearing on Monday dealt in particular with the disturbing investigations by the accused in the underground network. Sûreté du Québec investigators also conducted a computer search for the accused.
Back to the facts
The student was arrested on March 15 for threatening students and school staff.
The alleged facts would have occurred between December 1, 2022 and March 15, 2023. Since then, the teenager has been imprisoned in a youth center.
The judge on duty will decide Tuesday afternoon whether to release the teenager pending further trial.