A woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, who brutally killed a newlywed in a Toronto drugstore, has been unexpectedly released over a decade after the horrific incident.
Rohinie Bisesar, now aged 51, was granted an “absolute discharge” by the Ontario Review Board on June 3. The board concluded that she no longer poses a danger to the public and has fully committed to her rehabilitation, according to a report by CBC.
This surprising decision comes more than ten years after Bisesar fatally stabbed 28-year-old Rosemarie Junor in the chest inside a downtown Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart on December 11, 2015.
Bisesar, who worked as a financial adviser and was dressed in professional attire at the time, fled the scene but was later apprehended by Toronto police.
Junor, who had recently celebrated her marriage, was rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries a few days later.
The unprovoked murder committed by a woman who held an MBA and several other business degrees shocked the city.
“While the tragedy cannot be undone and will always be on our minds, Ms. Bisesar no longer is a significant threat to the safety of the public, and the law requires that an absolute discharge must be imposed,” the board wrote in its decision this month.
“Ms. Bisesar’s commitment to her present health has substantially contributed to this result. The board acknowledges the effort Ms. Bisesar has put into her recovery and wishes her well in her next chapter.”
Bisesar, who has schizophrenia, was found not criminally responsible for Junor’s slaying during a one-day trial in November 2018.
A psychiatrist testified Bisesar had untreated schizophrenia and was experiencing a psychotic break when she attacked her victim, the outlet reported.
“I am satisfied on a balance of probabilities that Rohinie Bisesar suffered from a mental disorder, schizophrenia, when she took this woman’s life,” Justice John McMahon said during the 2018 hearing.
“Because of the schizophrenia, she was incapable of knowing the killing was morally and legally wrong.”
She was held in a mental health hospital until late 2021, when she was allowed to live in the community and released to an outpatient facility, CBC reported.
Junor’s family told Canadian outlet Global News that their daughter’s killer needs to comply with her treatment plan — and that they “pray to the Lord to help keep Bisesar safe.”
They added that they have “never gotten over the loss of their daughter,” who was taken too young and hoped that Bisesar “takes her medication so that the public remains safe and she can’t harm anyone else.”