Abuse guilt could have triggered schizophrenia in 'dangerous' Leeds paedophile

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A “dangerous” Leeds paedophile who walked into a police station and confessed to abusing a five-year-old boy has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia – which doctors say could have been triggered by guilt.

Lukas Stribrny was locked up for 12 years at Leeds Crown Court today after admitting targeting the boy on multiple occasions over a five-month period. It was heard that the 37-year-old has since been diagnosed with the severe mental illness with his offending possibly being a “causative” factor.

Prosecutor Andrew Epsley said after suspicions were raised about Stribrny, he was arrested in 2019 and questioned by police but denied any wrongdoing.

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But in December of 2021 he voluntarily went to the police station and told officers that he thought he was sexually attracted to children and was a paedophile, and admitted abusing the child. He later admitted two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Stribrny was jailed for 12 years at Leeds Crown Court.Stribrny was jailed for 12 years at Leeds Crown Court.
Stribrny was jailed for 12 years at Leeds Crown Court.

Giving evidence in court, psychiatrist Dr Surak Shenoy said that Stribrny had since been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was on anti-psychotic medication.

Previously living in the Armley area, he was now being held at the secure Newsam Centre in Seacroft. Dr Shenoy confirmed that Stribrny was suffering from visual and audible hallucinations, but was responding well to treatment.

However, Dr Shenoy said his risk of sexual offending “remains high” and added: “He is dangerous, per the statute.”

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Mitigating, Jonathan Rogers, said Stribrny had no previous convictions for sexual offences an had a difficult upbringing, having lived in care between the age of six and 18 and claims to have been sexually abused.

He also said it was possible that the shame and guilt over the abuse could have triggered is extensive mental health problems.

Judge Simon Batiste followed the the doctors’ recommendation, that he should be subjected to a Section 45a hybrid order – meaning he will continue to receive the necessary treatment in hospital until he is well enough to be transferred to prison.

He also put him on the sexual offenders register for life and gave him an indefinite-length sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), to ban him having any unsupervised contact with under 16s.

Judge Batiste accepted his remorse and said: “It is very much to your credit that you made the admissions.”