[Dion]

Review board told Baker's treatment straightforward

Dr. Jeffrey Waldman, a forensic psychiatrist and the head of Baker's treatment team, told the review board this week Baker is one of the rare patients supervised by Manitoba's forensic mental health system that does not have an overly complex pathology. His malady is fairly simple and has been easily treated with anti-psychotic medication. Furthermore, Waldman said Baker himself does not present a myriad of other conditions or factors that would make his continued treatment or ability to sustain his medication an issue.

Neither Baker nor his family has a history of aggression or violence, substance abuse, or anti-social behaviour. He has no cognitive problems, and in fact is well educated and has a high IQ, Waldman said. Finally, he has responded remarkably well to anti-psychotic medication, which has completely stopped the hallucinations that sparked the McLean killing. So much so that Baker is deeply committed to maintaining his medication for the rest of his life, Waldman added.

"We have many complex cases with people who have a persistent history of violence and other complicating factors," Waldman said. "Very few of these people, even with medication, are able to function, to work or go to school after they are released. Mr. Baker is a far more stable case. He is definitely one of our lowest-need patients."

Waldman said it's also important to recognize that Baker has spent much longer in a psychiatric facility than other people found NCR for violent crimes. "He has had to endure an exceedingly slow and calculated process that has gone through multiple stages of consideration and consultation because of the high profile nature of the case. We've been very cautious."

This process simply does not compute for a great many Canadians that have already rejected the notion of 'not criminally responsible.' They cannot accept that criminal law holds, as one of its main precepts, the idea that someone who cannot form intent nor appreciate the gravity of their actions is not to be subjected to severe and lengthy punishment.

They also take no comfort from the fact that there are very few cases in Canadian case law where someone found NCR for a murder has gone on to commit another murder. In Manitoba, there has been only one similar case — Robert Chaulk — but he was initially released under an earlier provision of the Criminal Code that bears little resemblance to the law applied today.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...413098363.html