The Evil That Deserves Human Rights Consideration

"I dare say that all of the people in Ontario and perhaps Canada have felt ... the revulsion of the crimes which you have committed Mr. Bernardo."

"[Crimes] of such a brutal nature as to compel the conclusion that your behaviour in the future is unlikely to be inhibited by normal standards of behavioural restraint. The behavioural restraints that you require is jail."

"You require it, in my view, for the rest of your natural life."

"You are a sexually sadistic psychopath. The likelihood of you being treated is remote in the extreme."

Judge Patrick LeSage, 1995

 

"The Parole Board of Canada also noted that other psychiatrists concurred with previous diagnosis of sexual sadism and psychopathy, thereby representing a 'significant risk for reoffending'."

"They felt that treatment would be unsuccessful given Mr. Bernardo's personality characteristics and sexual pathology'."

"Bernardo was found to be 'callous, glib, grandiose, cunning, deceptive, manipulative and a liar'. Further, the board found that Bernardo had a complete lack of understanding of the impact of his offending and violent and sadistic behaviour."

Tim Danson, lawyer for Mahaffy and French families

Canada’s prison service is now reviewing its decision to move notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo from a maximum-security prison to a medium security facility. The transfer has sparked outrage across Canada’s political landscape. Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s.  CBC

Child serial killer, serial rapist, Paul Bernardo was sentenced by Judge Patrick LeSage to life in prison. Which in Canada generally means 25 years. However, in Bernardo's case, in reflection of his horrendous crimes where others could be sentenced to a 25-year life sentence, and could appeal to a parole board; his sentence distinctly noted that he could not do so. A man utterly lacking conscience and empathy for others, his persona reveals the classic signposts of a psychopath: devious, narcissistic, utterly lacking in empathy or remorse.

 

Before he was identified and placed behind bars he admitted to at least 18 rapes, at a time when this predator had a wide geographic area transfixed with fear over a serial rapist, women forced to take precautionary measures in the hope they would not become one of his victims. Matters took a turn when he -- with his willing wife's assistance -- kidnapped Leslie Mahaffy age 14, and Kristen French, 15, torturing them, raping them and murdering them. He raped and killed the young sister of his wife Karla Homolka.

When both were arrested and police were desperate to find hard evidence, Karla Homolka struck a plea agreement with police, directing them to a light fixture in the bathroom of their house where incriminating videos of her husband's crimes could be found. Her reduced sentence in exchange for her eagerness to provide evidence was, in fact, a miscarriage of justice. She is now free, has remarried and is raising children of her own, a woman who aided and abetted her husband's unspeakable crimes for her own pleasure.

 

Karla Homolka in St. Catharines July 6, 1993. (Frank Gunn/CP)

Recently the Correctional Services of Canada revealed that the hatefully notorious child rapist/murderer was being transferred to a medium-security institution from the maximum security prisons he was installed within for the past 28 years and public opinion was instant and furious. The families of the two girls he murdered were informed of the transfer the very day it took place. The Liberal government minister responsible for public safety and the prime minister denied any knowledge of the situation.

When the public and political uproar took place the commissioner of the Correctional Services noted that the CSA was simply following the law through an amendment to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act made by the Liberal government in 2019 called the "least restrictive environment" possible that inmates must be placed in. The view is that criminals have human rights that must be upheld, irrespective of the severity of any reprehensible criminal acts they engage in; a 'progressive' view that eschews retribution.

Lawyer Tim Danson wrote to Anne Kelly, the CSC Commissioner reminding that Bernardo had demonstrated no remorse, and continued to demonstrate signs of being the "sexually sadistic psychopath" he was at his trial, even after 28 years of incarceration. In 2021 a Parole Board hearing concluded that Bernardo remained a sexual sadist with psychopathic traits; at high risk of displaying violent, sexual behaviour. "At both parole hearings, the PBC found that Bernardo showed no remorse, insight or empathy", wrote Danson to the commissioner.

Kristen French, left, was 15 and Leslie Mahaffy was 14 when they were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Bernardo. (Handout/The Canadian Press)

"This man is a monster, devoid of even a scintilla of humanity, decency, remorse or empathy."

"At the same time, he is skilfully cunning and manipulative."

Tim Danson