Justice System Fails Our Kids Again
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Can't see the 'ShareThis' icon? Reload your page view by pressing Shift and clicking Refresh at the same time.Harold David Smeltzer is heading to Regina and you can forgive women and parents of children if they’re a bit uneasy.
Smeltzer, as you have been hearing, spent the last 28 years in prison. He abducted five year old Kimberley Thompson as she was on her way to kindergarten in Calgary in 1980. He drowned her in his parent’s bathtub and stuffed her naked body into a garbage can a few blocks away. For five months, Calgary lived in fear. Smeltzer was only arrested when an 11 year old girl he had raped recognized him as he was out walking.
That’s right, an 11 year old girl…Smeltzer had raped or sexually assaulted others; he eventually admitted to assaulting 40 victims between 1975 and 1980. He was sentenced to life with no parole for at least 25 years.
Smeltzer had been in jail in Prince Albert. A three hour parole hearing was held this week; member’s of Kimberly Thompson’s family travelled to be there, to fight his release. But the parole board hadn’t even notified the family, they found out only when a reporter notified them. But if Not that it made any difference…as Kimberly Thompson’s mom, and family wept, the parole board granted Harold Smeltzer day parole in Regina for six months.
How could the board have reached this decision? That’s the question many are wondering, just as they wonder how many strikes should it be in this country till violent sex offenders, particularly those who prey on children. How many strikes till they’re out?
3? 10? 20? 30? 40? 50? Smeltzer is over 40.
As an indication of how completely through the looking glass backwards this system is, it turns out that the reason the family wasn't told of the parole hearing wasn't that someone screwed up. Actually, it is Parole Board policy to NOT tell victims or family of such a hearing. They aren't allowed to solicit feedback! Why not? Who is our justice system more concerned about?
If you’re tired of violent criminals getting parole and families being forced to re-live the most jagged, painful moment of their lives, then you need to speak up. Tell your MP. When enough Canadians speak, politicians will start taking action. In the meantime feel free to check out this site set up by Kimberly Thompson's family to push for a change in our laws.
Comments
It didn't fail
It didn't fail......
It did exactly what it was designed to do.
It took him out of the community, rehabilitated him and now he is being released.
It's not the systems fault if he isn't fixed yet, its not designed to keep people until and unless they are completely fixed. By law they have to let people go rather than indefinitely punishing him.
Its not the systems fault if he is not punished properly. There is alot of emphasis on rehabilitation and return to the community. Its about making better people and getting them reintegrated sooner, because the longer they are away the harder it is to do.
And yes it can be designed to do both... but it isn't really designed for indefinite punishment OR rehabilitation. It is a hybrid that accomplishes neither purpose adequately.
Its a product of what the people we have elected for the past decades have designed it to do. And regardless of intentions...... it works... as it is designed.
As it is designed to do.
Picked this up this morning.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1089232.html
Hoping your news station follows the disabled 74 yr old Mr. John Marcus out in Dartmouth. The kid that beat him up and robed him (as he drove on his scooter) gets a curfew , probation (another one,... not the one he was on while committing the crime), and is told to go to school. That's a sentence? That was every day life when I was little. Weird.
But Mr. Marcus is pissed. and he is going to post the young offenders name in seniors communities so they can watch out the kid and protect themselves.
What do you want to bet that when he does so he will be treated much more harshly than the kid who beat and robbed him?
It does what it is designed to do.
Harold david Smeltzer
I am truley dumbfounded that the so called "experts" on the parole board could get this so wrong. Exactly what do they hope to gain by letting this man out??? What did society hope to achieve by feeding, clothing and housing this man for the past 28 years??? Correct me if I'm wrong but it is my belief that the job of the police, prosecutor and judges are to "stop" criminals from committing crimes by arresting them and putting them in jail. So why is it then the job of the parole board to enable these criminals by letting them out??? Capital punishment has been argued that it is not a deterrent to murder and that may be correct. But I argue that it "IS" a guarantee that it will not be done again by this criminal. The same guarantee can not be given by the parole board when releasing these offenders!!! Just like the way the parole board "CAN NOT" guarantee the safty of our children, I "CAN NOT" guarantee what I would do if this man was to victimize my family in any way!!! I would love to hear what the members of the parole board plan to "say" to the parents of the next child this man sexually assalts or worse yet.......KILLS!!! I would like to ask the parole board when they plan to parole Kimberly Thompson from death and give her, her second chance???PLEASE pass this on to the parole board!!! Yours Truely RON BUCK of Saskatoon.
At least your first sentence
At least your first sentence is correct. The rest not so much. Read the first post. None of us, not even the mighty John Gormley was on that board or even at the hearing, so it is a little presumptuous to be so outraged. If you favour capital punishment so strongly, feel free to live in Saudia Arabia or our neighbor to the South. Capital punishment is dead (pun intended) in Canada and you can see that it has done wonders for the US.
harold smeltzer
AS A FATHER OF TWO GIRLS I DEMAND A RECENT PICTURE OF HIM AS IF HE IS SEEN AROUND THE PRESENCE OF YOUNG GIRLS AGAIN IT SHOULD BE REPORTED AS A PAROLE VIOLATION AND SEND THE CREEP BACK WHERE HE BELONGS. HIS VICTIMS NEVER GOT A SECOND CHANCE DID THEY?AND AFTER ADMITTING TO ALL THOSE OTHER CRIMES WHAT ARE YOU GUYS THAT PAROLED HIM THINKING?? CAN YOU HONESTLY SAY TO ME MY GIRLS ARE SAFE CAUSE HE SPENT HIS TIME???? NO,BECAUSE THE GUY HAS A PROBLEM THAT ISNT GOING TO BE FIXED BY JAIL TIME ITS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO HAVE HIM MONITERED
AT ALL TIMES!!BEHIND LOCKED DOORS.
I don't know how we got to
I don't know how we got to the place where the pedophiles/murderers are allowed to roam, but we lock up our kids, afraid to let them out of our sight, even to walk to school. I am glad you mentioned that we should contact our MPs. I don't know why you gave Ralph Goodale a free pass when a caller to your show, (Elaine?) suggested that Mr.Goodale have to take these criminals to his home. You replied something to the effect that he is not responsible. The longtime Liberal government is very responsible for our "tolerant" laws against crime. I would like to see you have Mr. Goodale on your show and ask him how he voted, or was he one of the Liberals that just did not show up to vote. In fact, interview several MP's and ask them how they will represent our children.
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