I'm a bit of a rookie here. I'm Sheldon Kennedy, co-founder of Respect Group Inc.
I'm standing in front of you today not as a victim looking for justice but as a person who understands the commitment needed on a daily basis to continually stay willing to change. My flag was raised when I learned that immediately after release from prison, Graham James, my abuser, was in another country running the whole hockey program, coming in contact with kids from six years old to young men on their national team. That was before he ever received a pardon. That calls for change.
He was banned from hockey all over the world by the International Ice Hockey Federation, but as perpetrators do best, he sought out the unaware and manipulated his way into the organization. There he was again in a position of power over youth. He was back in the same situation he is in jail for today, 12 years later.
I think it is clear, as demonstrated by the outrage that Canadians felt when the pardon issue was raised, that the vast majority of people in this country want to know, and have a right to know, their neighbour, their child's teacher, their child's coach, etc. I'm here today as a concerned parent, neighbour, youth advocate, co-worker, and most of all, the voice of all citizens who share these same feelings.
When I finally filed a report of sexual abuse against my junior coach in 1997, as an adult and a professional hockey player, there were people in the media, hockey, and the town where it happened who didn't believe me. On top of having to battle with the fear and shame that abuse brings, I had to deal with disbelievers. Children who are victimized spend a lifetime trying to explain what happened to them and working to restore their emotional well-being. Meanwhile, perpetrators get pardoned.
Victims often struggle with emotional issues, alcohol, drug dependency, and suicide. They have to seek out their own forms of rehabilitation. Perpetrators typically get forced treatment and many get rehabilitated, on paper. However, research shows that pedophiles can rarely be rehabilitated. Interesting. So how can they be pardoned?
My abuser got three and a half years for his crimes and was released after only 18 months. Then he got a rubber-stamp pardon and took off to Mexico, where he had a clean record, a name change, and a chance to start offending yet again. Is there a parent in this country who would have an issue with protecting their children from this animal and others like him? He and other perpetrators should never be allowed to get a pardon, period.
In the 13 years that I've worked on these issues, I've learned that child victims of sexual abuse are scarred for life. They are not rehabilitated in 18 months. Police, social services, and victim-assistance organizations view it every day. They have to work with these victims and they see first-hand the horrific short-term and long-term effects and outcomes. I don't know a single professional who works with these victims who can see any logic or rationale in pardoning child sex offenders, and I admire those professionals deeply.
On the term “pardoning”, well, that bothers me too. It implies that perpetrators of these horrific crimes have been forgiven. The laws that govern Canada don't have the power to forgive. To me, that's up to the victims and their families. “Record suspension” seems a more reasonable term to me. Of course, no convicted child sex offender should ever be afforded a record suspension, but for the other crimes considered in the study of this bill, the term “record suspension” seems to fit.
To me, the fundamental reason we don't want pardons for child sex offenders is simple: we can't let these perpetrators walk freely among our youth organizations, our schools, our neighbourhoods, and our workplaces. These individuals need to be clearly identified so the risk can be managed and our society can be better protected from future crimes against our children. In my mind, child protection is paramount.
On behalf of all concerned adults and our most vulnerable and trusting commodity, Canadian youth, I fully support Bill C-23B, which eliminates the possibility of those convicted of sexual activity with a minor of any possibility of ever getting a pardon or record suspension.
Thank you.