Ozempic has been blamed for a senseless attack in which an Australian grandmother apparently stabbed her daughter-in-law and young grandson, and who has since been refused bail.
ABC News reports that a forensic psychiatrist told the court the woman’s alleged offending may have been caused by the “toxic side effects” of the drug.
The matter is listed for a committal hearing in October.
A court heard that the Wollongong woman (59) may have experienced “Ozempic-induced rage” when she allegedly stabbed her daughter-in-law and grandson during a roadside attack.
She has been in custody since June, after she allegedly followed her 27-year-old daughter-in-law as she drove her children, aged 10 and three, to judo practice, forcing her to pull off the road and stabbing her in the abdomen.
Police alleged she then opened the passenger door and stabbed the 10-year-old boy in the neck.
She was charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, which the court heard carried a maximum 25 years of jail time, with a non-parole period of seven years.
The boy spent two days in hospital and the mother four days, both requiring stitches.
During her submission at the bail hearing last week, her defence lawyer told the court her client had suffered from a major depressive disorder for more than 25 years, “exacerbated by family matters”.
Her client had no criminal history and had “lived her life without incident”, and what occurred that day “suggests something completely out of character”, she said.
She said the woman had been taking Ozempic at the time of the incident, and her behaviour may have been “the side effects of the medication she was taking”.
A forensic psychiatrist had assessed the accused and found her history of mental health issues may have made her “more vulnerable to the side effects of the medication (Ozempic)”.
“The expert doctor suggests the medication may have had a toxic effect on her metabolism and made her susceptible to violent behaviour,” she added.
“They say the medication is commonly associated with some behaviours like suicide.”
However, the magistrate told the court the forensic psychiatrist did not make reference to studies that “linked Ozempic to violence”.
The court heard the woman had told police she “had no idea” why she committed the offence, and that “something came over her to do it”.
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