The Korean Medical Association said Thursday that it’s inappropriate to jump to the conclusion that depression was behind the stabbing of an elementary school student by a teacher earlier this week, while the investigation is still ongoing.

According to a statement issued by the doctors’ group, many studies have shown that people with depression are no more likely to commit serious crimes than other people.  

The association added that the assumption that depression causes crime stigmatizes people with the condition, hindering treatment by promoting hostility and discrimination.

The statement also addressed the controversy surrounding a doctor’s recommendation that the teacher be allowed to return to work after a leave of absence.

The doctors’ group said psychiatrists cannot predict violent behavior and that it’s premature to conclude that the stabbing happened because a specialist wrote a poorly written recommendation for the teacher to return to work.