Families of Paul Bernardo's victims not allowed to attend parole hearing in person, lawyer says

According to the attorney for the families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, the families of Paul Bernardo's victims have not been allowed to attend the serial killer's parole hearing in person.

Attorney Tim Danson said in an open letter that the parole board recently told the families that they will not be allowed to attend next week's hearing in person, citing "the parole board's inability to ensure the safety of all those attending the hearing." " have stated.

"No other details have been provided to us," Danson wrote. "Respectfully, this is not only unacceptable, but extremely insensitive to the Mahaffey and French families."

"Absent exceptional circumstances, families have a legal right to have their Victim Impact Statements read in person."

Danson said in an interview with NewTalk 1010 on Wednesday morning that families are very willing to give their statements in person.

"They want to be physically present themselves ... and to make their daughter's memory there as much as possible," Danson said.

“They give victim impact statements, they talk about the impact this horrific crime has had on them and their daughters. "You can't get more personal and human than that, so they want to convey their feelings in the most direct and human way possible, which is physical presence."

Bernardo, who was moved to a medium-security prison about 200 kilometers northwest of Montreal in May, is currently serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffey.

These teenage girls were kidnapped and murdered near St. Catharines, Ontario in the early 1990s.

Danson said he was confused by the limited explanation provided by the pardon board.

"They can't say that the French and Mahaffey families pose some sort of security concern," he said. "We attended Bernardo's first parole hearing and they attended in person."

"If they mean Paul Bernardo himself, well that's remarkable. If so, then what does he do at mid-level security? He should have been sent to maximum security."

CP24 has contacted the Parole Board of Canada for comment.

Danson said the families have been assured they will still be able to attend Bernardo's parole hearings in person once he is transferred to Quebec.

Danson described the decision as a "conundrum" that was "very, very unfair."

"I have no idea why they're doing this and it's wrong," he said.

"We are asking that this decision be overturned, that the parole hearing scheduled for next Tuesday be postponed. Just a short delay, it could be in December. "It can only be a few weeks before we can make proper travel arrangements."

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