Sure. I'm happy to. That is my own comment, absolutely. I have been reading the letter and at times interjecting some comments. I hope it will be clear in the record which parts are quotation and which aren't. I will try to specify clearly.
I am about to resume the reading of this letter, which describes the circumstances in terms of what families were told and not told, etc. I think—this is Garnett Genuis talking—this is very shocking content and would be deeply disturbing to Canadians, as we've seen in the public response to these matters already, especially from the families and those who are part of the communities that were most affected by these crimes.
The text of the letter continues as follows:
Yet apparently, the Frenches were advised on the morning of Mr. Bernardo's transfer without any explanation. That is, they were not advised that he was being transferred from a maximum-security penitentiary to a medium-security penitentiary—rather in the morning of May 29, 2023, they were advised that Mr. Bernardo was being transferred and by early to mid-[morning], they were told that the transfer had been completed. Ms. Mahaffy was left with the distinct impression that the transfer had already taken place, or at [least] was imminent.
Regardless, the decision had been made. It was a fait accompli and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The decision to delay informing myself as counsel and the families until the day of the transfer and while the transfer was in progress, is, with respect, troubling. Given my role as counsel for the past three decades, it was incumbent of CSC to relay this critical development to me in a timely manner so that I could inform the families. This was not regular administrative news. A development of such pivotal importance came as a shock to the families and ought to have been processed through counsel. Had anyone considered that this transfer was done just over two weeks prior to the anniversary date of Leslie Mahaffy's abduction and murder?