A private members bill that is designed to prevent serial killers and other dangerous criminals from being transferred out of maximum security is expected to come up for second reading in the House of Commons in the fall.
Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty says Bill C-342 was introduced by Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli after Paul Bernardo was transferred to a medium security prison, but he also reminds people that Cody Legebokoff, who murdered four women in our region including Quesnel’s Natasha Montgomery, was also transferred to a medium security facility back in 2019.
“It’s just complete outrage when in 2019, literally just years after Justice Parrot said in sentencing “he lacks any shred of empathy or remorse, he should never be allowed to walk amongst us again and then all of a sudden he’s being transferred to a medium security prison. What a shock and what a blow to the families of the victims.”
Doherty says he will continue to fight to make sure that Legebokoff remains in prison.
“I’ve probably raised the issue dozens of times with former Minister Ralph Goodale, former Minister Marco Mendicino, and I’ll continue to do it to make sure that Cody Legebokoff never sees the light of day, or gets the chance to walk in any sense of freedom at all. Why should he ? I think he should, you know personally, I think he should rot in jail.”
Legebokoff was also convicted of killing Cynthia Maas, Jill Stuchenko, and 15-year old Loren Leslie.
Doherty doesn’t have a lot of faith that the bill will pass.
“If history dictates, with the Liberal and NDP coalition, their hug-a-thug mentality, I don’t think it has a chance to do it but it will once again allow us the opportunity to talk about Jill Stuchenko, Cynthia Maas, Natasha Montgomery and Loren Leslie, and hopefully, hopefully appeal to the Minister’s compassionate side and hopefully give them a chance to tell their story and remember the victims.”
Doherty says someone has to start standing up for the victims, and they hope that the NDP-Liberal coalition will do that in the fall.
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