University of Waterloo stabbing man apologizes during sentencing hearing, saying ‘violence is not right for any reason’

A former student who pleaded guilty to a 2023 knife rampage in the University of Waterloo’s Gender Studies class of 2023 said during Friday’s hearing that he was sorry for his actions and those affected by them.

Geovanny Villalba Aleman, 25, spoke on the fifth and final day of proceedings before the Ontario Court of Justice in Kitchener.

He began his apology by addressing “anyone who may be affected” by his decision to attack the Hagey Hall classroom.

“I admitted that violence is not good for any reason.”

“When I was a child, I never learned to trust,” he added, reflecting on how he witnessed his father beat his mother, his father apologize, and then repeat the cycle of violence. He described how it had undermined his confidence in his father’s apology, but said his apology to the court was sincere.

“I just want to apologize to the people who thought it was very terrible,” he said, acknowledging that some might not believe him.

The hearing began on Monday with statements from victims, including Associate Professor Katherine Fulfer and two students who were injured in the attack.

Earlier this week, Dr. Smita Vir Tyagi, forensic and clinical psychologist detained by the defense, he presented a report to the court that had an impact on his mental state. The psychologist stated that she learned that he had low self-esteem and found social interactions stressful, and subsequently diagnosed him with bipolar disorder, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Tyagi explained that her diagnosis of Villalba Aleman was based on his own words and descriptions of his mental state before and during the attack, so she could not say with complete certainty whether he was having a psychotic break during the attack or whether he had ever experienced a psychotic break in his life .

Geovanny Villalba-Aleman pleaded guilty to four charges in connection with a knife incident during a gender studies class in June last year. (Geovanny Villalba-Aleman/Facebook)

On Tuesday, the Crown detailed the assault charges to which he pleaded guilty in June this year, as well as the federal terrorism charges that are being considered as part of his sentencing. Lawyer Howard Piafsky said at the hearing that Villalba Aleman acted “to instill fear in his perceived enemies.”

One of the key elements of terrorism in Canadian law is that the act must have been committed for political, religious or ideological purposes.

If it turns out that Villalba Aleman carried out the attack motivated by hate, the Crown is asking Judge Frances Brennan to sentence the 25-year-old to 13 years in prison. To find him guilty of the terrorism charge, which could result in a life sentence, the Crown is seeking a 16-year sentence.

Brennan will review the evidence presented to the court and expects sentencing on January 27.

Fulfer attended every day of the sentencing hearing. After the hearing ended on Friday, she did not want to be questioned outside the court.

Debate on defining the ideology of a former student

The defense attorney argues that it is difficult to determine exactly what Villalba Aleman’s ideology is because he was difficult to understand during a long interview with police immediately after the attack.

Cooper Lord, one of the defense attorneys, said more than 350 words were marked as “indiscernible” in the transcript of his interview with police.

Lord noted that Fulfer described the former student as “resigned” during the attack.

“I take it that means his heart wasn’t in it,” Lord told the court.

The lawyer then disputed the Crown’s suggestion that his actions during Pride Month were intentional, as his mental state had been deteriorating in the months before the attack.

Lord pointed to a part of the police interview in which the former student told an officer: “Honestly, I’m not transphobic,” and added that his main motivation was to protect free speech and academia.

The defense asked Brennan to consider an eight-year prison sentence if Villalba Aleman is found guilty of terrorism.

Piafsky doubled down on his position that he actually attacked because of his ideology and should be found guilty of terrorism, not just hatred, which would carry a lesser sentence.

“His target is not just the LGBTQ community,” Piafsky said. “His motivation is not just hatred – it is political and ideological.”

Piafsky and Brennan had a long discussion about the best way to define this man’s ideology and whether it met the Criminal Code’s definition of terrorism.