Muslim Student Seeks Trial in Mental Health Court

This is a follow up to the "Muslim Woman who Played the Victim Card~Pleads Not Guilty" story. She had originally claimed that she was the victim of an anti-Islamic hate crime. The police had arrested her as the alleged crime never took place. Now she has played another victim card and has asked to be tried in a mental health court.

Muslim student seeks trial in mental health court
May 13, 2009

A Muslim student who allegedly made a false claim last year that she was attacked on the campus of Elmhurst College by a masked man making anti-Islamic slurs applied today to have her disorderly conduct case transferred to DuPage County mental health court.

Safia Jilani, 19, of Oak Brook, reported on Oct. 9 that she was beaten by a man with a gun in the college's science center. Elmhurst police said no such attack took place, and charges were filed against her.

"This young adult has had medical issues in the past that could have led to this episode," said defense attorney Terry Ekl, who said he has turned over a medical report to prosecutors. He declined to specify the medical condition.

DuPage County mental health court allows a defendant to plead guilty to a crime, agree to receive whatever treatment a judge orders, and then eventually have the charges dismissed if the treatment is successful.

Her request will be ruled on June 26.

If convicted of disorderly conduct, she faces up to three years in prison.

Ekl said she has received treatment for her condition in past years and noted that she has no criminal history. She was expelled from the school following the incident.

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