Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Victims of serious violence, particularly sexual or child sexual in nature, carry that with them for the rest of their lives. They often end up hurting themselves or hurting others, or both. For many of them, particularly victims of child sexual abuse, it's a lifetime thing. I can tell you that they also feel further victimization because of the justice system when they see it as not operating appropriately.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Thank you, Mr. Harris. I didn't raise the point cavalierly and I certainly didn't raise it in a personal way. I understand that marriage legislation is a provincial jurisdiction and it varies in different provinces. I raised it because I believe it is an opening for those who would want to be with 14- and 15-year-olds who, notwithstanding safeguards, are not capable of making that decision and are the very people we need to protect.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Thank you, Mr. Comartin. I am aware of the fact that there are these other requirements, including consent. My point is simple. Other than the transition law, I don't understand how it is that we will be protecting 14- and 15-year-olds. At the end of the day, whether there's attorney general consent or indeed consent of parents in a particular community, how are we advancing protection of 14- and 15-year-olds with regard to a decision that quite frankly they're not capable of making, notwithstanding these other protections or however you would refer to them?

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  I understand the significance of the section, and I'll take Mr. Comartin's comments as they were intended. Thank you.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Regarding Ms. Jennings' comments, as a retired police officer, I accept that there is another side to this, but I raise Mr. Callow for a couple of reasons. I know that the committee likes to focus on case studies or on those the legislation actually applies to, as opposed to bringing up something that has no applicability.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  In response to that, I understand that it's based on the provincial age that is allowed for marriage in each province, in each territory. I used Bountiful simply because we know it's happening. I would say two things here. One, all of these things are interlinked--child abuse, polygamy, and older men wanting to marry 14- and 15-year-olds.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Yes. The section that deals with an accused who is married to the complainant--I'm not talking about the transition section, I'm talking about the section going forward--I suspect was included with the best of intentions. What will happen is that communities like Bountiful, B.C., will see this as the welcoming mat for those who are 30-, 40-, 50-year-olds wanting to get married to 14- and 15-year-olds in those kinds of communities.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  I'll briefly repeat my point about the amendments that are contemplated in relation to both those who breach and those who commit another serious personal injury offence while on a long-term order. These are the very people who.... As I stated before, sex offenders make up approximately 85% of the dangerous offender population.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Do I have numbers? No, I don't. Mr. Cooper may or may not be able to help with that. You know, we--

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  I don't have actual numbers. What I can tell you is that the requests by a number of provincial attorneys general is directly related to that particular issue. You have these people who many of us believe are dangerous offenders, but in light of Regina v. Johnson, they are on LTO orders, including some people who have, for instance, 24-hour protection beside them, shadowing them as they go about being LTOs and things like that.

Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) committee  Thank you, Mr. Dykstra. My name is John Muise. For those of you I haven't met before, I'm a recently retired 30-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service, where I've spent six of my last seven years on secondment to the Ontario Office for Victims of Crime, where I provided policy advice to a succession of attorneys general in the province on issues around criminal justice reform, public safety, and support for crime victims.

Bill C-27 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  There's the odd one that suddenly, right off the top, commits a particularly vicious offence or murder, but for the large majority, yes, they often start off with getting a fine or being on probation. Yes, it's precisely like that, and I would agree.

Bill C-27 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  The short answer is yes. I am aware of the fact that, for instance--and certainly the Department of Justice people can verify the exact number--there are approximately 20 declared dangerous offenders, because you get the designation for life, who are currently out in the community.

Bill C-27 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Yes, and I would add that when young men are abused, it's the same thing. It was lifelong for Martin Kruze, who was abused. Four days after the provincial court in Ontario sentenced Gordon Stuckless to two years less a day, that was the last straw. He was let down yet again, this time by the criminal justice system.

Bill C-27 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I think I said that in terms of the dangerous offender legislation, the existing dangerous offender legislation, the onus isn't on the subject; it isn't on the offender. In this legislation, all that happens is that the onus shifts to the accused. Nothing will change in terms of the onus, save and except that the onus shifts onto the accused.