Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Jamie Sarkonak: No one knows who this mental patient is. They were put on cross-gender drugs anyway

Though this person was found not criminally responsible for assault, officials aren't even sure if they're a Canadian citizen

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Housed in the Women’s General Forensic Unit of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is a male inpatient, detained there for committing violent acts. This individual identifies as transgender and is receiving hormone treatments, but their identity is a mystery.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

It seems that it’s not just prisons that are struggling with preserving female spaces — it’s also the psych wards.

Jamie Sarkonak: No one knows who this mental patient is. They were put on cross-gender drugs anyway Back to video

In this case, “Camilla Shapiro,” a homeless person in Toronto, ended up at CAMH after being found not criminally responsible for assault (slapping someone outside the Eaton Centre so hard they fell to the ground) and assault causing bodily harm (shoving another homeless person’s face into the ground, causing them to lose teeth, in retaliation for an assault) in September 2024.

This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

There is no reliable information about this person’s parents, siblings, childhood, nationality, birthdate, or anything else that might clear up who they truly are. Canadian medical records date back to an emergency room visit in 2021, the first of many. Shapiro claims to be from Indiana and to have received psychiatric care there, but had not authorized the release of any information about that to Canadian caretakers in time for their hearings at Ontario’s mental health review board earlier this year.

Consent has since been secured, but whether that will yield fruit is questionable. According to the March 10 decision rejecting the patient’s release, Shapiro is not a reliable narrator, and “remains ambivalent about accepting assistance from the team with obtaining personal identification documents to pursue an application for immigration status in Canada.”

Shapiro’s stories are spectacular and grandiose. For one, this person claims to have escaped from a cult.

“She maintained a belief that she was kidnapped as an infant and that this group was responsible for a surgical ‘sex change’ when she was approximately two years old, stating that a penis had been implanted surgically,” noted the hospital in a report to Ontario’s mental health review board. Shapiro is a biological male.

“She vaguely recalled her biological father attempting to retrieve her but being turned away by the alleged cult. She reported no direct memories of her biological parents, whom she described as famous individuals, identifying her father as Colson James Baker (a well-known singer) and her mother as Liana Ren Shapiro (a model), and stated that her father was wealthy and owned multiple properties in Los Angeles.”

Shapiro has delusions about having a uterus and insists that this was confirmed with a pelvic ultrasound. Doctors list schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder as potential diagnoses.

This is a person who is not in contact with reality, who might not even be Canadian. Nevertheless, the hospital reported to the Ontario Review Board that Shapiro is receiving estrogen for gender-affirmation reasons. Surgery seems to be where doctors draw the line.

12 million Canadians could get a one-time bonus payment this spring. Here's how to check if you qualify Canada

12 million Canadians could get a one-time bonus payment this spring. Here's how to check if you qualify

Support for Alberta separatism at a 5-year high: poll Canada

Support for Alberta separatism at a 5-year high: poll

Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

Michael Higgins: Marilyn Gladu absolutely hated the Liberals — until 8 seconds ago NP Comment

Michael Higgins: Marilyn Gladu absolutely hated the Liberals — until 8 seconds ago

Ringleader of $22M Toronto airport gold heist gets four years in prison for his spectacularly simple plan Canada

Ringleader of $22M Toronto airport gold heist gets four years in prison for his spectacularly simple plan

Subscriber only. John Ivison: Carney’s floor-crosser power play is playing with explosives Subscriber only NP Comment

Subscriber only. John Ivison: Carney’s floor-crosser power play is playing with explosives

“Ms. Shapiro expresses a wish to pursue gender-affirming surgery for removal of her penis,” reads the hospital’s assessment, quoted by the Ontario Review Board. “However, presently, it is not clear whether she meets the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, given her ongoing psychotic symptoms and disorganization when discussing this topic.” This will be re-evaluated when Shapiro’s psychotic symptoms have been treated.

It’s well-known that biologically male criminals are being held in women’s prisons. The fate of transgender individuals too mentally ill to be found guilty of their criminal acts has been less certain — until just recently. The Ontario Review Board’s decisions about Shapiro reveal a four-day stay in the CAMH Women’s Secure Forensic Unit, and a much longer stay in the Women’s General Forensic Unit, starting on Nov. 15, 2024.

According to these records, Shapiro has been punched by another co-patient and suffered one instance of hair-pulling, but has not returned the violence. That said, doctors have assessed that Shapiro “continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public” due to a violent past and the likelihood of violence if psychosis is ever to return. On March 10, the Ontario Review Board decided against their release.

In a statement to the Post on Wednesday, a CAMH spokesperson said that patient placement is determined by “unique clinical care needs” of the individual, and that the “team remains mindful of safety.” They would not answer how many male patients were kept in the women’s unit in 2025 for privacy reasons.

Another decision by the Ontario Review Board from January refused the transfer of Artour (Anne) Sabouloua from CAMH to an Ottawa hospital. Sabouloua also identifies as transgender and, despite being a biological male, was housed in the Women’s Secure Forensic Unit and, from February 2025 to August 2025, the Women’s General Forensic Unit, and has been back in the secure unit since.

Sabouloua, at least, has a known identity, having immigrated to Canada from Russia at age nine. By 15, they began identifying as a woman and began suffering from paranoia and hallucinations by their 20s. Compounding these conditions was drug use and prostitution. In 2018, these behaviours culminated in setting a motel room on fire and later shooting a pellet gun at a random parked vehicle. Sabouloua was found not criminally responsible in 2020 and has been at CAMH ever since, receiving treatment for schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder — as well as estrogen injections.

There, Sabouloua has been characterized as violent and threatening, and on multiple occasions has put “staff and co-patients and police officers at risk.” This includes one threat to murder a co-patient, and another instance in which they knocked a co-patient “to the ground and repeatedly kicked her.”

These two cases alone show that it’s not just prisons that need female-only spaces: it’s also the psych wards. And while we’re at it, it seems that we also need a rule against injecting schizophrenic homeless people with hormones and contemplating the removal of their genitals.

Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Best BBQs in Canada: Top grills for balconies and backyards This summer we're chillin' and grillin'. 17 hours ago Outdoor & Garden

Best BBQs in Canada: Top grills for balconies and backyards

This summer we're chillin' and grillin'.

What are the hidden lessons of Japan's food culture? A culinary tour of the country's street markets and kitchens reveals what Canadians might be missing 17 hours ago Travel

What are the hidden lessons of Japan's food culture?

A culinary tour of the country's street markets and kitchens reveals what Canadians might be missing

Allergy seasons are getting worse: A doctor’s essential guide for every Canadian household Dr. Amiirah Aujnarain shares tips, advice and products to have on hand for allergy season in Canada. 19 hours ago Wellness

Allergy seasons are getting worse: A doctor’s essential guide for every Canadian household

Dr. Amiirah Aujnarain shares tips, advice and products to have on hand for allergy season in Canada.

Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

Score the latest version of Microsoft Office on sale Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business offers the latest in essential productivity tools 21 hours ago Digital Offers

Score the latest version of Microsoft Office on sale

Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business offers the latest in essential productivity tools

Stop buying bad chocolate: Biggest red flags to look for when shopping Here’s what to look for when buying chocolate for baking or snacking. 1 day ago Food & Drinks

Stop buying bad chocolate: Biggest red flags to look for when shopping

Here’s what to look for when buying chocolate for baking or snacking.

© National Post