Metally ill man languishing in jail

Carey Nargyak, a 19-year-old man found not criminally responsible for stabbing his brother in Gjoa Haven earlier this year, is still waiting for the Nunavut Review Board to assess his case.

The board, composed of health-care and legal professionals, must decide Nargyak’s sentence in lieu of jail time or probation. In the meantime, Nargyak is in custody at the Baffin Correctional Centre.

A 45-day court order keeping Nargyak in custody until Aug. 28 was extended to mid-September this week to accommodate the hold up. No reason was given for the board’s delay.

Nargyak, who suffers from a mental illness, stabbed his sleeping brother with a kitchen knife on March 23. At the time of the assault Nargyak believed spirits had overtaken his brother.

The sibling survived the attack.