Woman, 19, accused of stabbing 6-year-old to undergo psychiatric assessment

A 19-year-old woman accused of attacking a young boy on a downtown Halifax street has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment to see if she can be held criminally responsible on a charge of attempted murder.

Elliott Chorny appeared by video in Nova Scotia provincial court on Thursday morning from jail. She's been in custody since Feb. 23, when she was arrested just after a six-year-old boy was stabbed on Barrington Street near Scotia Square Mall.

Chorny is also facing a weapons charge. A knife was used in the attack. 

The boy was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later reported to be in stable condition.

Chorny's legal aid lawyer, Kelly Rowlett, told Judge Alonzo Wright that she has added an earlier assault charge Chorny was facing so that the two matters will proceed through court together.

The earlier assault charge stems from an incident on Jan. 27 at the Halifax Infirmary when a psychiatrist was attacked.

Rowlett told the judge she doubts the assessment will be completed by the time the case returns to court next month and an extension in time will likely be necessary. Chorny will remain in custody in the meantime.

Chorny's family was in court for Thursday's brief appearance. 

In the days immediately following the stabbing, Chorny's mother, Andrea Hancock, went public with her struggle to get help for her daughter before either of these incidents occurred.