One of Canada’s Most Notorious Serial Killers was Denied Parole, But Why was He Granted it to Being with?
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka are names that I heard from a very young age — probably earlier than I should have.
My mother used to live in Scarborough. Her sister, Nancy, went to the same high school as Bernardo in 1980 — the same time Bernardo went. My mom said it was a scary time to live in Scarborough. They would often receive strange phone calls to the house. A man would call asking for Nancy, the calls became so disturbing and threatening they had to change their number to an unlisted number. My mother says she was almost certain it was him.
Bernardo and Homolka are some of the country’s worst serial killers. Bernardo was a serial rapist. He was tried and convicted for two counts of first-degree murders, kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated sexual assault. Homolka was arraigned on two counts of manslaughter, she received a plea bargain for her testament against Bernardo.
In September, 1995, Bernardo was sentenced life in prison without parole for at least 25 years. In 2006, during a prison interview Bernardo spoke of his reform and belief that he would make a good parole candidate. Earlier this month, he was denied parole at the Millhaven Institution.
The question a lot of Canadian’s faced, with anger, was why was a man who tortured, murdered and dismembered 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy or the man who murdered 15-year-old Kristen French after holding her captive for three days while sexual abusing her eligible for parole in the first place?
Amidst Bernardo’s appeal, the past dredges up for victims still dealing with the trauma of the attacks and the families of the victims who’s lives were lost at the hands of Bernardo. Their pleas were heard during the parole board hearing, Debbie Mahaffy, mother of Leslie Mahaffy said, “We have had to relive Leslie’s pain and horror — our pain and horror, as if it happened yesterday, not 27 years ago.” Adding, “The effect of this parole hearing allows Bernardo to abduct our beautiful memories of Leslie as he had inserted himself and the ugliness of her death into our lives yet again.”
Bernardo is the only known Canadian offender to consent to being declared a dangerous offender, which only strengthens the argument that he is an extreme risk to the public.
During his parole board hearing, Bernardo argued his low self-esteem was what drove him to commit his sexually twisted crimes. Bernardo attributed his low self-esteem to a speech impediment that made him feel increasingly inadequate and fearing of social interaction. His social anxiety became sexual, he said.
Bernardo told the Parole Board of Canada panel, “I’m a very flawed person. I know I’m not perfect. What I did was so dreadful. I hurt a lot of people. I cry all the time.” He further blamed his low self-esteem to cause his need for control and root of his “sexual performance anxiety.”
Overall, Bernardo had several excuses as to what caused his horrific sexual crimes but board member Suzanne Poirier was anything but convinced. “I don’t think I buy what you’re saying,” Poirier said after Bernardo spoke on his childhood of bullying, a controlling mother and feelings of inadequacy. “You had quite a privileged upbringing,” Poirier continued. Bernardo seemed to have a lot to say about his own suffering and justifications for his actions, but little to comment or apologize for the pain and suffering he is responsible for.
The serial killer was denied parole and will remain behind bars for at least the next two years.
However, the ordeal of this hearing on the French and Mahaffy families was just as distressing as it was 27 years ago. The families were forced to come face to face with the man who destroyed their lives and haunted their dreams for over the past 25 years. And although he was denied his first attempt, in the years to come Bernardo can re-apply as often as he wishes.
This parole hearing for a sadistic killer who failed to apologize for his heinous crimes that ruined so many lives presents the alarm that our criminal justice system should serve to protect the victims. Somewhere along Bernardo’s appeal this has been forgotten.
Paul Bernardo, the infamous Canadian serial killer and rapist deserves to stay behind bars until his death for his torturous, unforgivable crimes for which he has shown no remorse for.
