Notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo moved to medium-security prison in Quebec
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.
For a decade, Bernardo has been at Millhaven Institution near Kingston, and before that, he was located at Kingston Penitentiary – both maximum security prisons in Ontario.
His new placement is at La Macaza Institution in Quebec, in the Laurentians region northwest of Montreal.
The reasoning for Bernardo’s transfer has not been released.
Timothy Danson, a Toronto lawyer who represented the families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, who were raped and murdered by Bernardo, said Corrections Canada informed him of the move earlier this week.
However, he said none of his questions about what provoked the move were answered. Corrections Canada cited Bernardo’s privacy rights in response, Danson said.
When he informed the French and Mahaffy families, he said it was “very difficult and very upsetting,” bringing back all of the horrific memories again.
The Correctional Service of Canada couldn’t say why the convicted killer was moved, but it said “public safety” is the “paramount consideration” in every decision.
“While we cannot comment on the specifics of an offender’s case, we assure the public that this offender continues to be incarcerated in a secure institution, with appropriate security perimeters and controls in place,” a spokesperson said on Friday.
“It is important to note that this offender is serving an indeterminate sentence, which means that there is no end date to their sentence.”
Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino called the transfer “shocking and incomprehensible,” saying he stands with the victims’ families and Canadians appalled by the decision.
“Having devoted my career as a federal prosecutor to protecting our communities, I have reiterated my firm expectation that CSC take a victim-centred and trauma-informed approach in these cases. I will be addressing the transfer decision process directly with CSC Commissioner Kelly,” Mendicino said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“Canadians expect the most serious crimes to have the most serious consequences, that the Victims Bill of Rights be followed and that the safety of our communities is placed above all.”
Bernardo was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping, raping, torturing and murdering two teenagers, 15-year-old French and 14-year-old Mahaffy, in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.