[Dion]

For Tim's mother, the issue is safety

She wants his mentally ill killer confined for life

Li was found not criminally responsible for the slaying. He has schizophrenia and was not receiving treatment when he killed Carol de Delley's boy. The verdict didn't sit well with many who don't buy mental illness as a reason for not doing time for crime. Carol de Delley was never part of that crowd.

"I'm not fear-mongering. It's (the calls for violence against Li) that are frightening. I have nothing but empathy and sympathy for people who are suffering from a mental illness," the 51-year-old said Friday afternoon.

"They want to take care of Vince Li and treat him humanely. Fine. No wonder he's showing vast improvements. Compared to what he was like, no kidding. (But) he needs to be kept there. He needs to be in a secure locked facility for the rest of his life."

The debate has sent shivers through the mental-health community. Even as Manitoba opened its first mental-health court to divert non-violent offenders from the traditional justice system, the decision to give Li additional freedoms has led to online calls for his death.

Again, Tim McLean's mother is not among that number. But her son's murder has exposed the fear and mistrust many feel toward those with a mental illness, no matter how treatable.

"I think we have all had experiences with mental illnesses. It's common. But our experiences weren't violent," she says. "Schizophrenia is not curable, it's treatable."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...152136265.html