University of Waterloo stabbing attacker apologizes at sentencing hearing, saying ‘violence is not good for any reason’

The former student, who pleaded guilty to a 2023 stabbing attack in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, said at a sentencing hearing Friday that he apologized for his actions and those affected by them.

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

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

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

“I never learned to trust as a child,” he added, recalling how he witnessed his father beat his mother, before his father apologized and then repeated the cycle of violence. He described how this had eroded his confidence in his father’s apology, but said his apology to the court was sincere.

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

The hearing began Monday with victim impact statements from associate professor Katherine Fulfer and two students injured in the attack.

Earlier this week, Dr. Smita Vir Tyagi, forensic and clinical psychologist The suspect, who was detained by the defense, submitted a report to the court evaluating his mental state. The psychologist said he learned that he had a poor sense of self-worth and found social interactions to be stressful, and diagnosed him with bipolar disorder, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Tyagi explained that Villalba Aleman’s diagnosis was based on his own words and descriptions of his mental state before and during the attack, so he could not say for sure whether he had or was going through a psychotic break at the time of the attack. He has never had a psychotic break in his life.

Geovanny Villalba-Aleman pleaded guilty to four charges related to a stabbing that occurred in a gender studies class last June. (Geovanny Villalba-Aleman/Facebook)

The Crown on Tuesday detailed charges related to the attack to which he pleaded guilty this June, as well as federal terrorism-related charges being considered as part of the sentence. Lawyer Howard Piafsky said at the hearing: Villalba said Aleman acted “to instill fear in people he perceived as enemies.”

A key component of terrorism under Canadian law is that the act is committed for a political, religious or ideological purpose.

If Villalba Aleman is determined to have committed a hate-motivated attack, the Crown is asking Judge Frances Brennan to sentence the 25-year-old to 13 years in prison. The Crown is seeking 16 years in prison on terrorism charges, which could carry up to life imprisonment.

Brennan will review evidence presented in criminal court and expects to hand down sentencing on Jan. 27.

Fulfer attended the sentencing hearing every day. He did not want to be interviewed outside court after the hearing ended Friday.

Debate on defining the former student’s ideology

The defense attorney argued that it was difficult to determine exactly what Villalba Aleman’s ideology was during his lengthy interview with police immediately following the attack.

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

Lord noted that Fulfer said the former student appeared “resigned” at the time of the attack.

“I take that to mean his heart is not in it,” Lord told the court.

Counsel objected to the Crown’s suggestion that his actions during Pride month were deliberate timing because his mental state had deteriorated in the months before the attack.

Lord noted the part in the police interview where the former student told the officer, “I’m not transphobic, to be honest,” adding that his real motivation was to protect free speech or the academy.

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

Piafsky emphasized that she attacked because of her ideology and that she should be found guilty not only of hatred but also of terrorism, which would bring less punishment.

“It’s not just aimed at the LGBTQ community,” Piafsky said. “His motivation is not just hatred, but a political and ideological concern.”

Piafsky and Brennan argued at length about the best way to describe the man’s ideology and whether it met the Criminal Code’s definition of terrorism.