Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, who stabbed three people in a gender studies class in Hagey Hall at UW in June 2023, was sentenced to 11 years, to be served concurrently.

Villalba-Aleman’s pre-sentence custody will be deducted from the sentence at a credited amount, meaning he will spend about seven years and six more months behind bars. He will not be eligible for parole until half his sentence has been served. 

His sentencing hearing took place on March 17.

“I hope over the next few years you will have the opportunity to work on the issues I have read about in news reports. The offences are very serious. If you commit a violent offence again, I fear you will serve an even longer period in custody,” Justice Frances Brennan said to Villalba-Aleman, after the sentencing. 

Justice Brennan noted that the evidence, including the timing during Pride month, clearly established that Villalba-Aleman intended to instill fear in the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

“This is a particularly grave hate crime. This was not an impulsive act by any definition,” Brennan said. “He intended to inflict – and did inflict – widespread fear.”

Villalba-Aleman pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault, one count of assault with a weapon and one count of assault causing bodily harm. 

Justice Brennan noted that the attack caused a physical, as well as heavy psychological and emotional toll on the victims, including UW professor Katy Fulfer and UW students Xinyue Song and Ethan Park, according to their victim impact statements. The attack caused students to fear attending classes and even going out in public.

The impact on the victims, the UW community, philosophy department, and the community-at-large by these offences is a “weighty aggravating factor that must be reflected in the sentence imposed,” Brennan said.

Justice Brennan described Villalba-Aleman’s ideological views as “varied and disparate.” His manifesto expresses hatred toward a wide variety of people and causes, and he continuously emphasizes an “ardent belief in freedom of speech.”

In listing mitigating factors, Brennan noted that Villalba-Aleman lacked a prior criminal record and admitted guilt almost immediately after the attack. 

A psychological report by Dr. Smita Vir Tyagi diagnosed Villalba-Aleman with autism spectrum disorder, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder. Brennan noted that his Villalba Aleman was living an “incredibly isolated” life at the time of the attack. 

The federal crown sought a sentence of 16 years, as they argued that the actions met the definition of terrorist activity.

The provincial crown sought 13 years, arguing that these offences were motivated by bias, prejudice or hate on the basis of sexual identity and gender. The provincial crown also sought a delay in his eligibility for parole.

The defence sought eight years, arguing that this was neither an act of terrorism nor a hate crime, and that his actions were best understood as a wrongheaded attempt to speak out against free speech. They said that he suffered from mental health issues at the time of the attack.

UW President Vivek Goel released a statement shortly after the sentencing hearing. “Our first thoughts are with the people who were present during the attack,” he said. “The courage they showed that day and throughout the trial and sentencing hearings was powerful.  It is heartbreaking that such bravery would ever be needed on a university campus.”

He directed those in need of support to campus wellness and the employee and family assistance program.

“I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering support for those expressing their gender and identity,” Goel said. “Everyone deserves to feel respected, valued, and safe, regardless of how they identify.”

Villalba-Aleman came to Canada from Ecuador in 2018 to enroll in the physics program at UW, graduating in 2023, two weeks before the stabbing. He will be subject to a deportation order after serving his sentence.

Full statement from Professor Katy Fulfer:

Following the attack in Hagey Hall in June 2023, I received an outpouring of support from across campus and the Kitchener-Waterloo community, from friends, students, colleagues, and strangers. Academics and survivors across the world reached out in care and solidarity. This support was vital to me, especially in the initial months following the attack. 

I would also like to thank the provincial and federal Crown attorneys for their work, and my liaison with the Crown for his support throughout the legal process. 

Sentencing marks an end to the legal process, but our community work to cultivate inclusive spaces of belonging continues. No one should experience what my students and I did on June 28, 2023. 

To my colleagues in Gender and Social Justice and in Philosophy, and to other faculty and staff whose teaching, research, or work advances social justice: thank you. You show up for our students and for each other. Every day you strive to make visible the urgency of teaching and research on gender equity and justice across campus. To Professor Carla Fehr, your leadership is a shining light. I am grateful to everyone who supports and helps make this work possible. I am also grateful to W3+ (Waterloo Womxn + Nonbinary Wednesdays) community on campus for their work sustaining community for women and non-binary people across campus. 

Finally, to the students who continue to take courses in Gender and Social Justice, thank you for being here, for your bravery and enthusiastic engagement.