Canada finds man guilty of incel terrorism for first time

Ontario judge says 2020 massage parlour attack meets criminal code definition of terrorist activity

In February 2020, a teenager killed a woman in a massage parlour in Canada and on 6 June 2023 a judge ruled that it was an act of incel terrorism (CBC News/ The National / YouTube)

An attack on a massage parlour in 2020 was inspired by the incel ideology and was an act of terror, said a judge in Canada in an unprecedented ruling.

Justice Suhail Akhtar said the man who fatally stabbed one woman and attempted to kill another in February 2020 inside a massage parlour was inspired by the misogynistic incel movement.

The Canadian government describes the term incel as an “ideologically motivated violent extremist online subculture or community in which members express a gender-driven, violent misogynist worldview”.

The verdict marked the first time an incel-related incident was found to be an act of terror, Crown prosecutor Lisa Mathews was quoted as saying by CTV News.

The killer reportedly found “inspiration” in the man who was responsible for a deadly van attack in Toronto in 2018 and who considered himself an incel, short for involuntary celibate.

The judge said the massage parlour attack did meet the criminal code definition of terrorist activity.

The killer, who is now 20 years old but was 17 at the time of the attack, was not named in local media as per Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.

He pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in September last year and is now awaiting sentencing, CBC reported.

Judge Akhtar delivered his ruling over Zoom on Tuesday and said he will explain his decision at a later date.

In February 2020, the then-17-year-old walked into a North York massage parlour and stabbed the receptionist, 24-year-old Ashley Noell Arzaga, more than 40 times and killing her, before he was disarmed by another woman.

The owner of the Downsview massage parlour told CTV News Toronto in 2020 that she had to “fight for her life” after the attacker entered her parlour with a large machete and severely injured her after stabbing Arzaga.

The accused had reportedly used a sword engraved with the words “thot slayer”. “Thot” is a derogatory word for women.

Local media reported that he is scheduled to appear in court on 18 July next.

The application for the accused to be tried as an adult is yet to be determined or scheduled.