Thank you.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable members.
My name is Marcia Penner. I want to thank you all for inviting us here today to be part of this witness panel and to testify on the impact of the moving of Paul Bernardo and all other maximum security prisoners.
When asked how this move has affected me, my quick answer is, “How hasn't it?”
When I received the news of this move, my heart dropped, and 31 years of anguish, anger, fear and despair rushed in and brought me right back to the day Kristen was brutally killed. That day, our lives changed forever, and our innocence was lost. Our naive perspective of the world would be forever tarnished. That day, I started to believe in monsters and had the harsh realization that true evil existed all around us. That day, we realized we were no longer safe.
I understand that the CSC, as well as Commissioner Anne Kelly, seemingly followed all stipulated guidelines and regulations while assessing this decision. All necessary boxes were allegedly checked, and criteria were met to accommodate this move. It is without question that a narcissistic psychopath such as Paul Bernardo would have no issue manipulating that system. Someone of his calibre would have no problem composing the appropriate answers necessary to warrant a move to a lower-security institution, a transfer that he himself instigated. It is also no surprise that after 31 years of not fulfilling the requirements to warrant a move, he was able to convince the CSC that he could now play nice with other inmates at an institution filled with similarly designated prisoners.
Prior to the decision to allow Paul Bernardo to remain in medium security, I forwarded a meta-analysis along with a letter submitted by Dr. Angela Book. Dr. Book has studied psychopaths for her entire career and clearly states in her letter that Bernardo cannot be rehabilitated.
The presiding judge at the Bernardo trial, Patrick LeSage, stated, “Mr. Bernardo...you have no right to ever be released. The behavioural restraint that you require is jail. You require it, in my view, for the rest of your natural life. You are a sexually sadistic psychopath.”
Does the designation “dangerous offender” not hold any weight? This man is the worst of the worst: a pedophile rapist, a sexual sadist, a psychopath and a murderer. There are no worse crimes. If he doesn't fit the mandatory requirements for a maximum security stay, then who does?
Because he didn't pose any threat to the staff within the jail, is he no longer a threat? If he escapes, is he no longer a danger to all of us? What about the victims he hurt and murdered, whose lives he stole without their having any choice?
It is also my understanding that Ms. Kelly was quoted as saying the department has “compassion for the victims.” I challenge that statement, as this decision was made and shared with the Liberal government four months prior to the move, but the families were notified the day of the move.
When the government was asked about its knowledge of this, it denied knowing anything about it. It was also reported that any media or public backlash would be taken care of in regard to this move. Is this consideration for victims or their families? How are we to have any faith or trust in our elected officials when little to no regard is given when dealing with such a highly sensitive case as this one?
When does this end? Each and every time this monster takes the spotlight and gets his face in the media, all the victims and their families and friends are revictimized and retraumatized all over again. The victims' and families' voices are heard during trial and parole hearings, but then they are muted when it comes to important decisions such as reclassification and reintegration.
By moving Paul Bernardo from a maximum security to a medium security facility, you are telling the victims and their families that what happened to them is not relevant and that what happened wasn't that bad, and now that he can behave, he will be rewarded.
We need to bring justice back for these victims and their families. We need to move Paul Bernardo back to maximum security where he belongs.
Thank you.