Re: Rohinie Bisesar
ORB File No: 7449 Hearing held on: Thursday, April 23, 2026 Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before: Alternate Chairperson: Mr. M.D. Segal Members: Dr. T. Verny, Dr. M. Green, Ms. A. Israel, Ms. K. McMillan
Parties Appearing: Accused: Rohinie Bisesar Counsel: Mr. M. Bornfreund
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. S. Rosales-Zelaya
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. M. Feindel
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated June 3, 2026)
Introduction
Rohinie Bisesar, age 51, was on November 6, 2018, found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder on a charge of murder, contrary to the Criminal Code.
Ms. Bisesar, who is subject to a conditional discharge appeared from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (the “hospital”) before the Ontario Review Board (the “Board”) on April 23, 2026, for her annual hearing.
The Board had before it as Exhibit 1 the Hospital Report dated March 20, 2026. Exhibit 2 was a letter related to the patient’s desire to become a chartered financial analyst. Exhibit 3 was a nine -page self-report with three letters of reference. The Board also had before it the current Disposition and the most recent Reasons for Disposition.
In preliminary positions the hospital took the position that the patient no longer represented a significant threat to the safety of the public and accordingly, an absolute discharge must issue. Patient’s counsel, Mr. M. Bornfreund, agreed with the hospital. Mr. Feindel, Crown counsel, who has followed this case for years, wished to hear the evidence.
By the conclusion of the hearing, after hearing the evidence and receiving submissions, and after carefully considering the safety of the public, the Board was satisfied that Ms. Bisesar, who has lived incident free in the community since October 4, 2021, no longer met the threshold required of being a significant threat to the safety of the public. Accordingly, an absolute discharge was granted.
Her diagnosis is schizophrenia.
Index Offence
- The circumstances of the index offence were exceptionally grave.
“On Friday December 11th, 2015, at approximately 2:55 PM, the victim was in the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 66 Wellington Street West, in the City of Toronto. The victim was on a break from work and attended this location to do some shopping. The accused entered the store carrying a small kitchen knife concealed by both of her hands and walked through the store and directly towards the location of the victim. The victim was on her cell phone speaking to a friend and began browsing some nail polishes on the merchandise display shelf. The accused approached the victim and without provocation or any interaction, stabbed the victim in the upper chest with the concealed knife. The victim stumbled backwards and walked towards the pharmacy, where she asked for help and collapsed. The accused turned around and began walking back towards the entrance she used to enter the store, discarding the knife in a small make-up display case in the middle of the aisle. The accused walked out of the store and used the underground PATH system to flee the area.
The victim received first aid assistance from staff at the pharmacy until Toronto Paramedic Services attended and transported the victim to St. Michaels Hospital. The victim was rushed into trauma surgery where she was treated for a single stab wound to her upper left chest, which penetrated her heart. The victim was stabilized; however, her condition remains critical and recovery from her injuries is still unknown.
The accused was subsequently identified through video surveillance from the scene. On Tuesday December 15th, 2016, the accused was located at 3692 St. Clair Avenue East in the City of Toronto. The accused was arrested, read her Rights under the Charter, and transported to 52 Division, where was charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing”. The victim later died in hospital.”
Ms. Bisesar’s personal and psychiatric history including details of her mental disorder and treatment are described in detail in the Hospital Report. Ms. Bisesar lives in independent housing. She has no dependents. She is unemployed and financially supported by ODSP. She is engaged in volunteering and improving her education.
Ms. Bisesar is on two antipsychotic medications including a long-acting depot administered monthly and oral medication taken daily. Her psychiatric symptoms have remained in full remission for some years.
As noted in the Hospital Report, Ms. Bisesar has a psychiatric history of treatment for delusional disorder, and chronic paranoid schizophrenia, which predate the index offence. Ms. Bisesar was suffering from significant symptoms of psychosis at the time of the index offence. She had a history of poor compliance and declined treatment with antipsychotic medication. Notably, she did not disclose that she had been experiencing command auditory hallucinations until after the index offense.
Dr. Wilkie became Ms. Bisesar’s treating psychiatrist in October 2021, coincident with her discharge into the community. Ms. Bisesar was granted a conditional discharge in May 2023.
Evidence at Hearing
Dr. T. Wilkie, Ms. Bisesar’s outpatient psychiatrist, testified. According to the doctor, it has been a good year similar to the preceding year. Ms. Bisesar has been heavily involved in all aspects of her treatment from therapeutic and recreational points of view. Ms. Bisesar has a close relationship with the forensic team. There is also a family health team attending to the patient's physical needs.
In October 2025, Ms. Bisesar was transitioned to a shared cost model with the Psychosis Coordinated Care Service (“PCCS”), a CAMH outpatient support team that offers client case management, ongoing follow up and group programming for non-forensic patients. That service, supervised by a psychiatrist, is a transitional service until such time as a community-based team can be arranged. If an absolute discharge occurred, that program would approach the hospital’s downtown central clinic to have Ms. Bisesar join that program. Dr. Wilkie indicated that there would never be a gap in services to Ms. Bisesar.
Dr. Wilkie had no concerns with an interruption of treatment. Ms. Bisesar understands that she has a major mental illness that requires treatment in perpetuity. The long -acting medication and supportive family numbers are added protections. Ms. Bisesar has a well-developed community safety plan, and she and her family are knowledgeable and vigilant regarding the possibility of emergent symptoms. Dr. Wilkie is impressed by the patient's commitment to seek help if symptoms started to emerge.
Dr. Wilkie informed the Board that the patient has faced several stressors and navigated well through them all. Those stressors include family illnesses and occasional media interest in her background. Ms. Bisesar’s goals are now realistic. That was not always the case, but over time Ms. Bisesar has moved away from being focused on outcomes, such as a return to full time employment on Bay Street in the financial sector. Ms. Bisesar is content and comfortable with the process of advancing her education and involvement with others such as part-time work and regular volunteering. Setbacks, for example in academic circles, are taken in stride. Ms. Bisesar continues to deal with notoriety and fear relating to the unspeakable. She has managed well in the face of media coverage including a television special on her case. The patient has dealt commendably with the stigma associated with her index offence.
According to Dr. Wilkie, while Ms. Bisesar may not be totally cognizant of her limitations regarding career, she is in a much better place now. She is content with her current life. She favours a comfortable and predictable lifestyle that sees every day filled up with predictable activities. She is now thinking about structured part-time employment perhaps in project work.
Ms. Bisesar’s insight is solid. She has profited from a high degree of support. The patient has adopted a structured lifestyle that eliminates stressors. This past year the forensic team loosened its hold as transition to PCCS was unfolding. It went well. Ms. Bisesar’s insight is better, and her family is more educated regarding her illness and possible warning signs. Dr. Wilkie spoke with the patient's father very recently.
Ms. Bisesar has been fully treatment responsive on her current medications.
Ms. Bisesar continues to engage and focus on recovery and the transitions that she has been engaged in.
In final submissions, the hospital fairly reviewed all of the progress and positive attributes the patient has consistently displayed. Mr. Feindel has been carefully following this patient for a decade. While acknowledging the gravity of the index offence and the heartbreaking loss to the victim’s family, Mr. Feindel fairly agreed that the hospital's position was correct. Mr. Feindel had observed the patient’s long journey, through adversity into recovery. Mr. Bornfreund stressed that as the doctor had acknowledged there was nothing more that could be expected from his client. Despite the immense tragedy, the substantial progress shown by his client informed an absolute discharge. Mr. Bornfreund reminded the Board that if released from the forensic system the protections of the Mental Health Act remain available and made reference to the case of Brazier [2013] ORBD 2760. All counsel commended the patient for her sustained commitment to mental health.
Analysis
The matter started with a shocking and brutal index offence. The death of an unsuspecting stranger in the centre of Toronto quietly going about some shopping strikes at all of society. Ms. Bisesar was then, however, floridly psychotic, untreated and desperately unwell at that time. Thankfully, Ms. Bisesar was a patient who did respond to treatment. Through the impressive assistance of the psychiatrist and the entire forensic team, coupled with an unwavering commitment by the patient to do everything possible she could to get better, Ms. Bisesar is ready to be released from the jurisdiction of the Board.
Ms. Bisesar has been and is medication compliant. She has listened to the forensic staff faithfully attending critical therapy and psychotherapy. Ms. Bisesar has been in the community, living independently for four and a half years managing her own apartment and finances through the assistance of ODSP. The Board had before it, as it had last year, a written summary and appraisal of all of the pro-social steps taken day-by-day as recorded by the patient.
Ms. Bisesar is on a long- acting injectable antipsychotic. Critically, her illness has been in sustained remission for several years. There has been no evidence of psychosis for years.
The patient’s insight is mature. It is strong. She understands the permanent need for medication and treatment. Ms. Bisesar has dealt with adversity, loss, disappointment and transitions in an exemplary fashion. She has a supportive family. Her family and the patient are both well attuned to what symptoms may look like if they were to re-emerge. There is a sound safety plan in place.
The hospital followed through on its commitment to find care should an absolute discharge issue be a consideration. Ms. Bisesar is now under the auspices of the PCCS program. The hospital will also be approaching the downtown central clinic run by the hospital to assume care. There will be no gaps in treatment. Putting in place such measures will ensure that continuous care will be in place. The Board is of the view that the hospital has acted very responsibly. Equally, the Board is confident that Ms. Bisesar will continue to show the same commitment to good health she has displayed on her road to recovery.
While the tragedy cannot be undone and will always be on our minds, Ms. Bisesar no longer is a significant threat to the safety of the public, and the law requires that an absolute discharge must be imposed. Ms. Bisesar’s commitment to her present health has substantially contributed to this result. The Board knowledges the effort Ms. Bisesar has put into her recovery and wishes her well in her next chapter.
DATED this 3rd day of June, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Region of Toronto.
Mr. M.D. Segal Alternate Chairperson
__________________ Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board