10/3 podcast: Treatment or prison? What happens when a killer is found mentally ill

Ana Paula Kitterhing De Sousa was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend, Michael Calvo, in her home in 2023.

On average, about 20 homicide cases every year in Canada wind up with the killer being found not criminally responsible, and sentenced to mental health treatment instead of jail.

But how are these cases decided, and what is the fallout for families of the victims when the perpetrator isn’t sent to prison?

Emma Jarratt, a reporter with the Investigative Journalism Bureau, joins me to discuss key factors that are frequently present in cases where an accused is designated NCR, why the designation is seen as controversial, and what changes people are proposing.

Background reading:Not Criminally Responsible: The broken system behind the killers who don’t go to jail

Subscribe to 10/3 on your favourite podcast app

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.