Accused Winkler church attacker to get mental-health assessment

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This article was published 29/08/2017 (3302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mental-health assessment has been ordered for the man accused of stabbing a 15-year-old girl inside a Winkler church.

Maksym Kravchenko, 39, appeared in court in Morden Tuesday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose after the teen was stabbed while attending Pembina Valley Baptist Church on Sunday.

Defence lawyer Sarah Murdoch asked provincial court Judge Robin Finlayson to order an assessment that is meant to determine whether Kravchenko is fit to stand trial. The judge ordered the assessment and Kravchenko was informed, with help from an interpreter, that he’ll likely be seen by a psychologist later this week at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.

Murdoch told court she will not yet apply for bail on Kravchenko’s behalf.

He is accused in a seemingly random stabbing that Winkler’s mayor has previously described as “bizarre.”

Kravechenko didn’t know the victim and is not a member of the church congregation, according to a statement posted on the church’s website from Pastor Michael Sullivant.

“Approximately 12:55 p.m. (about 30 minutes) after our church service let out, a man entered our facility and went into the ladies washroom and injured one of our young ladies. He immediately exited the buildings and went and sat in a car,” the statement says, saying the man was captured on video surveillance footage.

The pastor’s statement said the teen underwent surgery for serious injuries and is making progress in her recovery.

“We have been assured that with an event like this, there were no precautions that were missed as this is seemingly so random,” the statement said.