"Convicted killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo has been transferred to a medium security prison..." Daily News Update and Commentary, June 5, 2023
The total lack of transparency and the blatant insensitivity toward the families only serves to victimize the families yet again.
The news last week that convicted killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo has been transferred from Millhaven to a medium security prison has opened old wounds for a community that was shocked by the kidnapping of two young girls, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy in 1991, then horrified and sickened when it was discovered that both girls had been brutally raped, tortured and murdered by Paul Bernardo and his then wife, Karla Holmoka.
We can only imagine the incalculable sorrow this has caused the French and Mahaffy families who have never forgotten and will never forget the grief and heartache that haunts them to this day.
Those of us who covered that tragedy will recall the controversial plea bargain with Homolka, whether or not police and the Crown Attorney mishandled the investigation and the prosecution of the case, and now, Bernardo’s transfer to a medium security facility with no explanation to the families or the public.
The total lack of transparency and the blatant insensitivity toward the families only serves to victimize the families yet again.
The nameless, faceless people at Correctional Service of Canada need to be accountable for their decisions.
In the absence of any justification for transferring Bernardo, it could be assumed that lessening his punishment suggests that the painful memory of his egregious acts has faded over time.
It hasn’t, and never will for the French and Mahaffy families nor should it for the rest of us.
Further Reading: Prison service to review decision to transfer killer Bernardo to medium security (CTV)