Wednesday, July 18, 2007

No deal for Peter Whitmore

I can't believe that prosecutors would actually offer a plea bargain to that man, a man who triggered Saskatchewan's first ever AMBER Alert.

He should be designated a dangerous offender which would mean a real life sentence. Instead, life means just seven lousy years.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess you did not read what this would really mean...

BlastFurnace said...

If you're referring to the fact the kids he kidnapped wouldn't have to testify, yes I did read that part, Jason. Or the fact that even if paroled he'd have to see a parole officer for the rest of his life, I read that too.

The fact remains this underlies an issue with sex offenders -- even with a national registry there's no way to reliably track them even after all sentences are served. And the Parole Board itself said there was a 100% chance of Whitmore reoffending which is exactly what happened.

The designation of dangerous offender is meant to be used sparingly and only for the worst of the worst. I think Whitmore clearly matches the profile of someone who will never be integrated back into society, and he should get what in Canada is effectively life without parole; and the prosecutors in Saskatchewan should go for it.

I'm not sure what kind of tariff you'd attach for a life sentence ... would it be 7? 10? 25?