A judge sentenced a Canadian man to life in prison Tuesday after he pled guilty to committing the incel-inspired murder of a woman with a 17 inch sword, according to multiple reports.
The then-17-year-old in 2020 stabbed 24-year-old female massage parlor employee Ashley Noelle Arzaga to death and severely injured another woman, the CBC reported. The judge ruled the stabbing was an act of terrorism linked to incel subculture, per CBC. (RELATED: Man Sentenced To 50 Years For Murder After Eluding Justice For Nearly 4 Decades Under False Identity)
Man who pleaded guilty in incel-inspired murder at Toronto spa to be sentenced todayhttps://t.co/s2l7xovRjK
— CP24 (@CP24) November 28, 2023
The convicted man cannot be named because he was not an adult at the time he committed the crimes in question, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The Ontario judge, Justice Sukhail Akhtar, said the individual was moved to commit the crime “after extensively researching the incel culture,” according to CBC. “I do not accept his … attempt at avoiding responsibility by claiming that he was brainwashed by that culture. He sought it out, he accepted it and he acted upon it,” Justice Akhtar added.
Parole may be granted to the convicted man after roughly six years in prison in deference to the fact he committed the crime while a minor, CBC noted.
An incel is a person who is involuntarily celibate and is typically frustrated over those who are sexually active, according to Merriam Webster.
The man in question reportedly said he no longer hates women and regrets his actions.
“I’ve come to realize that life is so much more than just internet negativity … I wish I could travel back in time and talk some sense into my former self,” the man said, per CBC.
The judge additionally sentenced the man to three years in prison, which will be served concurrently, for attempted murder, The AP reported.