Parole board barred victims’ families from attending Bernardo hearing in person, lawyer says

The families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, who were brutally tortured and killed by Paul Bernardo in two of the most horrific crimes in Canadian history, are once again facing disappointment in the justice system. Their lawyer, Tim Danson, has expressed his outrage at the decision to deny the victims’ mothers the opportunity to deliver their victim impact statements in person at Bernardo’s upcoming parole hearing.

In a scathing letter addressed to the Parole Board of Canada, Danson argued that his clients have the right to confront their daughters’ killer face-to-face. He described the devastating impact of the news on Debbie Mahaffy and Donna French, who were informed that they would not be allowed to represent their daughters at the hearing. Danson accused the board of setting victims’ rights back to the “stone age” with this decision.

Paul Bernardo, a designated dangerous offender, is currently serving a life sentence for the abduction, sexual assault, and murders of French and Mahaffy when they were teenagers. He is scheduled to have a virtual parole hearing next week, but the families have been told they cannot attend due to safety and security concerns.

Danson questioned the rationale behind this decision, pointing out that Bernardo’s previous hearings were held without incident. He argued that allowing victims to deliver impact statements in person adds a crucial human dimension to the proceedings and criticized the board for relegating them to a computer screen.

The issue of safety and security was also raised in relation to Bernardo’s transfer to a medium-security facility last year. Danson questioned why concerns had suddenly arisen and why Bernardo had not been transferred back to a maximum-security institution if there were genuine risks.

The letter concluded with a plea to adjourn Bernardo’s parole hearing to allow the families to attend in person. Danson emphasized that they have a right to answers and justice, just as much as the offender who took their daughters’ lives.

The denial of the victims’ mothers to deliver their impact statements in person has sparked outrage and renewed calls for changes to how dangerous offenders are handled in Canada. The families continue to fight for justice and closure in the face of a system that appears to prioritize the rights of offenders over those of their victims.