Yellowknife (Nov 03/04) - A Yellowknife woman who stabbed her young daughter, believing the girl was possessed by the devil, has been released on a conditional discharge.

The woman has promised to take her medication and see a psychiatrist, as well as follow other conditions set out in a court order, for the next two years.

The woman was found to be not criminally responsible of attempted murder during a trial in September. Supreme Court Justice Richard ruled she did not understand the consequences of her actions when she plunged a foot-long knife into her daughter's chest May 1.

Crown attorney Steven Hinkley said the woman could be "managed in the community" and did not require a prolonged stay in a mental institution.

The grisly attack shocked Yellowknife when details surfaced last spring. According to court documents, the 12-year-old victim was staying at her aunt's house the night of the stabbing. The woman asked her daughter to meet her in the bathroom to "tell her a secret." Shortly after, the young girl's cousins reported hearing a scream and the woman was overheard saying she was "trying to kill Satan" and "trying to kill the beast." When police arrived at the home, they found the mother trying to clean blood off the bathroom wall. The girl suffered a stab wound to her chest, inflicted by a 12-inch knife police found at the scene. She also suffered lacerations to her hands and forearms.

The woman has suffered psychological problems for several years. The woman received treatment for her disorder, but stopped taking her medication in the months that preceded the attack.

Under the terms of her release, the woman is required to visit with medical professionals at least every 90 days. The woman will also be under the close supervision of a probation officer and is required to abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs.

The order also bars the woman from having contact with her daughter or her ex-husband, unless she is given permission from her probation officer.