University of Waterloo Attacker Sentenced to 11 Years for Hate-Motivated Stabbing

An Ontario court ruled the 2023 attack targeting a gender studies class was a hate crime driven by anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment but did not meet the legal definition of terrorism.

• Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, a former University of Waterloo student, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a hate-motivated stabbing in a gender studies class.
• The June 2023 attack injured a professor and two students and was intended to intimidate those studying gender identity.
• The court determined the attack was motivated by hatred toward the LGBTQ+ community but ruled it did not meet the criteria for terrorism due to a lack of ideological coherence.
• The attacker, described as socially isolated and influenced by conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 lockdowns, confessed to police and pleaded guilty to multiple charges.
• The Public Prosecution Service of Canada is reviewing the court's decision to determine whether to appeal the rejection of terrorism charges.

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