Friday, December 12, 2025
ADVT 
National

Paul Bernardo denied parole after victims' families plead he be kept behind bars

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Nov, 2024 02:43 PM
  • Paul Bernardo denied parole after victims' families plead he be kept behind bars

Notorious killer Paul Bernardo has been denied parole for a third time following a hearing before the Parole Board of Canada.

The parole board noted that while Bernardo has made some progress during incarceration, there is still significant concern about his risk of sexual recidivism and his narcissistic personality disorder, given the "extremely violent" nature of his crimes. 

Bernardo, who is designated a dangerous offender, is serving an indeterminate life sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.

The 60-year-old told the board he was primarily seeking day parole at a halfway house, or at a minimum, escorted absences from prison so that he can attend a community program for sex offenders. 

The victims' families made an impassioned case against Bernardo's bid for release, and said they have been re-traumatized every time his parole hearings come up.

At the end of a daylong hearing at the La Macaza Institution in Quebec where Bernardo is currently held, the parole board reached its decision after approximately 30 minutes of deliberation.

MORE National ARTICLES

Man flees to India in AP Dhillon shooting

Man flees to India in AP Dhillon shooting
Mounties on Vancouver Island say a man has been arrested in Ontario and another is believed to have fled to India after shots were fired at a home in Greater Victoria last month. Property records show the home is owned by Punjabi music star A-P Dhillon, who posted on Instagram after the shooting that he was safe.

Man flees to India in AP Dhillon shooting

Vancouver confirms CRAB Park temporary sheltering area will close next week

Vancouver confirms CRAB Park temporary sheltering area will close next week
The City of Vancouver says the remaining seven residents of an encampment at a Downtown Eastside park have a week to pack up their belongings and leave, or they must remove their tents each day as the area returns to regular daytime use. A statement from the city says people may continue sheltering at CRAB Park overnight, but structures must be taken down by 8 a.m. each day starting Nov. 7.

Vancouver confirms CRAB Park temporary sheltering area will close next week

Suspicious activity with van

Suspicious activity with van
Police in Metro Vancouver say they're investigating two reports of suspicious interactions involving a man driving a white van approaching young girls. New Westminster police say they received the second report after issuing a public statement about the first interaction involving two 12-year-old girls on October 26th.

Suspicious activity with van

Pedestrian dies in vehicle crash

Pedestrian dies in vehicle crash
Ridge Meadows Mounties say a female pedestrian died last week after being struck by a vehicle in one of three crashes involving cyclists or pedestrians in the area in the last seven days. Police say the fatal crash happened on Lougheed Highway on October 25th, when the 49-year-old victim from Pitt Meadows died at the scene despite live-saving efforts from emergency workers.

Pedestrian dies in vehicle crash

Canadian election watchers to gather in bars, homes to watch polarizing U.S. vote

Canadian election watchers to gather in bars, homes to watch polarizing U.S. vote
Canadians engrossed in the drama of the U.S. presidential election expect to gather in bars and living rooms to watch the votes roll in Tuesday, but many say the usual fanfare of watch parties will be muted by anxiety over the especially combative race.

Canadian election watchers to gather in bars, homes to watch polarizing U.S. vote

Day parole extended for Kelly Ellard

Day parole extended for Kelly Ellard
The Parole Board of Canada has granted another six months of day parole to the woman who beat and drowned 14-year-old Reena Virk with an accomplice in 1997. Kerry Sim, formerly Kelly Ellard, has been allowed day parole regularly since 2017 and the latest decision says she has displayed "stable and cooperative" behaviour.

Day parole extended for Kelly Ellard