WHAT THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES TOLD THE COURTS
Sally Kaack, Australian ballerina “More than a year has passed since the event and though it seems like a lifetime ago, thinking about it gives me goosebumps and can even bring me to tears. “Whenever I walk down the street, I always glance at people’s hands to see if they’re carrying a knife or weapon. Sometimes, I even imagine scenarios in my head of how I can defend myself or run away if the situation were to occur again. I even have dreams of ways I should have defended myself. “Sometimes, I even wonder what would have happened to my mum if I didn’t live.”
Alison Tedesco, wife of stabbed jogger John Tedesco “This was a preventable crime. My husband, John Tedesco, was attacked by a man who is mentally ill and known to be violent . . . Four potential deaths could have been prevented. This is where the anger comes in. The anger is no longer directed toward the perpetrator — he is a victim of his own illness and a system that has failed him. “This system has allowed him to walk freely through the streets, to be off of his medication.”
Elisa Tersigni, former partner of stabbing victim Christopher Young “The stabbing dramatically changed our lives . . . Chris was bedridden for a week and I stayed home with him. After he physically healed, he became very withdrawn and stopped leaving the house . . . His mood and behaviour significantly changed. He used to be very independent and active, but he just stayed home and did nothing. “He was scared to walk places and I was worried whenever he left the house.”
Jennifer Tran, St. Michael’s Hospital doctor “I continue to feel grateful every day to be alive. I was coming home on Jan. 25 from an overnight shift at the hospital when I was suddenly attacked by a stranger. “The ensuing events are forever carved into my memory — the powerful blow to my chest, the wind knocked out of me, a man yelling ‘She’s been stabbed!’, the praying to God as I unzipped my coat and the indescribable relief to know my cellphone over my breast pocket is what saved me . . . While I hope that (O’Neill) will get the treatment he needs, I want to be able to feel safe walking home after work on a Sunday morning and I want that for my fellow citizens as well.”