Re: Heba Alidelbi
ORB File No: 7956
Hearing held on: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Place of hearing: Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Ms. M. Labrosse
Members: Dr. S. Lessard Dr. G. Boulais Mr. D. D’Intino Ms. K. Brisson
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Heba Alidelbi Counsel: Ms. M. Lord
The person in charge of hospital: Representative: Dr. A. Sandhu
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. J. Wright
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated February 20, 2026)
Introduction
On October 6, 2021, Ms. Heba Alidelbi was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder, on charges of assault peace officer, assault with intent to resist arrest, assault (x2) and obstruct-resist a peace officer, all contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada (“Criminal Code”).
Ms. Alidelbi is subject to a Disposition of the Ontario Review Board (the “Board”), dated January 21, 2025, which ordered that she be discharged from the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre (“ROMHC”) subject to several conditions.
On January 7, 2026, a panel of the Ontario Review Board (“ORB”) convened in person and a hearing was held at the ROMHC. The purposes of the hearing were to determine if Ms. Alidelbi continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public as defined in the Criminal Code of Canada, and if so, the necessary and appropriate disposition.
For the reasons set out below, the Board unanimously finds that Ms. Alidelbi no longer meets the threshold for significant threat to the safety of the public and that she is therefore entitled to an absolute discharge.
Current Psychiatric Diagnoses:
- Schizoaffective Disorder – Bipolar Type
Index Offences:
- The facts giving rise to the index offences were set out in last year’s Reasons for Disposition and are summarized as follows:
Regarding Incident of July 3 (2020):
Ms. Alidelbi attended the Chateau Laurier Hotel. When she was informed by a staff member that she had trespassed, she kicked him in the genitals and left.
Regarding Incident of July 4 (2020):
Ms. Alidelbi again attended the Chateau Laurier Hotel. She shoved the complainant when he denied her access to the property. Arrested shortly after, she resisted the arrest process by pulling her arms away and kicking one of the officers in the legs.
Once in police cells, the accused kicked a female special constable in the legs while being searched.
Following arrest, it was recommended that a mental health assessment be conducted, based on her presentation..”
Without Prejudice Positions of the Parties:
At the commencement of the hearing, the parties were canvassed for their initial positions.
The Hospital took the position that Ms. Alidelbi no longer meets the threshold for significant threat to the safety of the public and is therefore entitled to an absolute discharge.
Counsel for the Attorney General anticipated supporting the Hospital’s position.
Counsel for the accused also supported the Hospital’s position and thus the Board was presented with a joint submission.
Evidence at the Hearing:
The Board had available to it the evidence and documents forming the Record, the Exhibits, and oral evidence from Dr. Sandu.
By way of update to the Hospital Report, Dr. Sandhu testified that he took over Ms. Alidelbi’s care from Dr. Suliman in October 2024. At that time, Ms. Alidelbi was residing in her own apartment in Ottawa and at this time, she continues to reside in the community.
Ms. Alidelbi remains capable of consenting to treatment and managing her finances and property.
Two concerns arising from last year’s annual hearing was Ms. Alidelbi’s ability to function independently and work toward achieving goals that she has set for herself, as well as being willing to reach out to the treatment team to ask for help when she required it.
Dr. Sandhu explained that over the course of the past reporting year, Ms. Alidelbi has required less intensive support from the treatment team – for example, she was discharged from having an intensive case manager – and this has resulted in ongoing stability while residing in the community.
That notwithstanding, Dr. Sandhu testified that Ms. Alidelbi continued to work with her treatment team to achieve her goals, such as applying for jobs and advocating for herself in respect of her Canadian Citizenship application.
Significantly, Dr. Sandhu outlined how in recent appointments, Ms. Alidelbi has been able to better articulate her mental health diagnosis, the symptoms she previously experienced and how medication and treatment have helped in reducing those symptoms.
In response to questions from the Crown, Dr. Sandhu replied that in recent years there have been no issues with Ms. Alidelbi’s relationships. They continue to be prosocial and appropriate, specifically friendships she has relied on over the course of the most recent reporting year.
Dr. Sandhu further testified that Ms. Alidelbi is better able now to recognize early warning signs of mental status decompensation, such as changes in her sleep patterns and how stress can affect her. She has expressed that she would continue to work with Dr. Sandhu and the treatment team going forward, regardless of whether she was under the jurisdiction of the Board or not.
Lastly, Dr. Sandhu explained that Ms. Alidelbi’s romantic relationships and relationships with friends both inside and outside the immigrant community have been positive and supportive, and she has disclosed those with the treatment team.
In response to questions from Ms. Lord, Dr. Sandhu confirmed that efforts were underway to connect Ms. Alidelbi with an Arabic-speaking community-based physician, but if that takes a bit longer, Dr. Sandhu confirmed that he could continue to see Ms. Alidelbi beyond the next year to bridge the gap in care.
In response to questions from the Panel, Dr. Sandhu surmised that Ms. Alidelbi’s main risk factors for relapse in the recent year were her reliance on the treatment team, her ability to manage stress and the limited social supports she had in the community. Neither of those factors are a concern at present in his view.
Dr. Sandhu also confirmed that he had no concerns about Ms. Alidelbi’s compliance with her medication regime. He explained that she is very motivated not to upset or disappoint her treatment team, and she understands the importance of attending all her injection appointments and such.
Should the Board grant an absolute discharge, Dr. Sandhu envisions seeing Ms. Alidelbi at least once per month and possibly more frequently depending on when her injection appointments are.
Dr. Sandhu testified that Ms. Alidelbi is committed to taking medication long term and her insight into her mental illness and the need for medication is very good.
At the conclusion of the evidence, the parties maintained a joint submission with respect to the recommendation for an absolute discharge.
Analysis and Conclusions
Having heard and considered the entirety of the evidence as well as the submissions from the parties, the Board finds that Ms. Alidelbi no longer meets the threshold for significant threat to the safety of the public and finds that she is therefore entitled to an absolute discharge.
Beginning by addressing the issue of significant threat, a significant threat to the safety of the public cannot be speculative. It must entail a real risk of serious physical or psychological harm arising from conduct that is both serious and criminal in nature.
In determining whether Ms. Alidelbi represents a significant threat to the safety of the public, the Board has carefully analyzed the evidence as it relates to the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Winko, 1999 CanLII 694 (SCC), [1999] 2 S.C.R. 625 and the definition of the term in s. 672.5401 of the Criminal Code.
Ms. Alidelbi suffers from schizoaffective disorder – bipolar type, which appears to be well controlled by her long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication. There have been no issues of medication non-compliance, verbal or physical aggression or other areas of concern in relation to Ms. Alidelbi for some time.
Ms. Alidelbi has been residing in the community independently for at least two years without issues, has been working collaboratively with her treatment team, has been working on her education and English skills and increasing her social connections in the community.
Over the course of the past year, the intensity of the support she has required has gradually decreased and Ms. Alidelbi has become more independent without any indication of a disruption to her mental stability. Her symptoms remain in remission, and she exhibits no positive symptoms of her illness.
The Hospital Report is clear that Ms. Alidelbi has good insight into her mental illness, her symptoms, early warning signs of decompensation and her need for lifelong medication and follow-up care.
It also discusses how Ms. Alidelbi has been very motivated in pursuing employment, her physical fitness goals, her education, and her English-language skills – all of these being protective factors for her.
The most recent HCR-20 V.3 risk assessment assesses her as presenting a moderate risk of future violence.
In summary, the Panel independently finds that there was uncontradicted evidence on the record which supports the joint recommendation of the parties – that Ms. Alidelbi no longer meets the threshold of presenting a significant threat to the safety of the public and therefore, she is entitled in law to an absolute discharge.
The Panel wishes to congratulate Ms. Alidelbi on her remarkable progress over the past few years, and we hope for nothing but the best for her going forward.
DATED this 20th day of February 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Mr. D. D’Intino Legal Member
Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board