Fabio Puglisi, the 44-year-old man accused of double murder and attempted murder in Vaudreuil-Dorion, has been found fit to stand trial. At least, that's what Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud decided on Tuesday April 23 at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse. 

A report submitted by psychiatrist France Proulx notes the improvement in the accused's mental health, and that he is now capable of understanding the charges against him. 

He will remain detained at the Institut de psychiatrie Philippe-Pinel throughout the proceedings, according to the court order. This will make things easier if he becomes unfit to appear again in the coming months. 

Judge St-Arnaud also strongly advised the accused to continue the medical treatment he has been under since his arrest last February, even though the order issued sixty days ago is no longer legally valid. 

Sitting in the dock, Piglisi seemed to understand the charges against him. However, he has not yet entered a plea of guilty or not guilty. 

On February 15, Fabio Puglisi violently murdered two women and seriously injured another in an apartment on rue Émile-Bouchard. Shortly before the tragedy, he had appeared in another case, this time for assault. 

According to crown prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel, although Fabio Puglisi has been deemed fit to stand trial, there is nothing to prevent the defense from invoking mental disorders to explain his client's actions.“It will be up to Me. Dubé to determine his strategy,” said Me. Prévost-Gravel.

Fabio Puglisi will be back in court on June 20 by videoconference.