Sunday, December 14, 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

Joly faces calls for probe in death of woman Canada refused to repatriate from Syria

Joly faces calls for probe in death of woman Canada refused to repatriate from Syria
Advocates want Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to call an impartial investigation into the death of a Canadian woman the federal government refused to repatriate from a Syrian detention camp. In a letter to Joly, Sen. Kim Pate and human rights activist Alex Neve say the Quebec woman died unexpectedly just over a week ago in Turkey.

Joly faces calls for probe in death of woman Canada refused to repatriate from Syria

Canadian consensus on immigration under threat, but not gone: immigration minister

Canadian consensus on immigration under threat, but not gone: immigration minister
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada's long-held consensus on immigration is under threat, but has not disappeared. On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to slash Canada's immigration targets by 20 per cent next year and admitted his government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Canadian consensus on immigration under threat, but not gone: immigration minister

Majority of Canadians would vote for Kamala Harris in U.S. election: poll

Majority of Canadians would vote for Kamala Harris in U.S. election: poll
If Canadians could vote in the U.S. election, a majority would choose to send Kamala Harris to the White House. In a new survey from polling firm Leger, 64 per cent of Canadian respondents said if they could cast a ballot, they’d put their support behind vice-president Harris while 21 per cent would support former president Donald Trump. Fifteen per cent weren't sure what they would do. 

Majority of Canadians would vote for Kamala Harris in U.S. election: poll

Halloween safety plan key: Coquitlam RCMP

Halloween safety plan key: Coquitlam RCMP
Police in Coquitlam are urging people to have a plan as Halloween approaches to ensure the safety of children and pedestrians. Mounties say trick-or-treating often leads to increased number of pedestrians on the roadways, and people should make sure their costumes are visible in the dark.

Halloween safety plan key: Coquitlam RCMP

Mail-in ballot figures coming for each B.C. riding, may make election outcome clearer

Mail-in ballot figures coming for each B.C. riding, may make election outcome clearer
Elections BC is expected to provide a breakdown today of the number of uncounted mail-in and absentee ballots in each of British Columbia's 93 ridings, potentially making clearer the outcome of the weekend's nail-biting vote. There are about 65,000 of the ballots to count between tomorrow and Monday, which could solidify results from election night, or may even flip some ridings. 

Mail-in ballot figures coming for each B.C. riding, may make election outcome clearer

One charged in arson: Surrey RCMP

One charged in arson: Surrey RCMP
Surrey R-C-M-P say a 29-year-old man has been charged with one count of arson causing property damage after a fire in the Newton neighbourhood last week. The Mounties say they were called to help in the response to the residential structure fire, and found firefighters were detaining a man at the scene.

One charged in arson: Surrey RCMP