Bus driver appeals 'high-risk offender' label

A Quebec man who drove a bus into a Montreal-area daycare in 2023, killing two children and injuring six others, has asked the Court of Appeal to overturn his high-risk offender designation.

Pierre Ny St-Amand was found not criminally responsible by Quebec Superior Court Judge Eric Downs in April 2025.

The judge labelled Ny St-Amand a high-risk offender last March. 

Ny St-Amand’s lawyers filed their appeal on April 15.

They argue that labelling those who are not criminally responsible as high-risk offenders should be unconstitutional and violates their Charter rights. 

Ny St-Amand’s lawyers also say the restrictions imposed on those designated as high-risk offenders prevent their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. 

They add that Ny St-Amand has been willing to follow all recommended medical treatment following his psychosis in 2023 and that he has shown remorse. 

Ny St-Amand is currently detained at the Philippe-Pinel psychiatric hospital in Montreal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.

By Erika Morris | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.