Mayors in Metro Vancouver Urge Parole Denial for Serial Killer Robert Pickton

A group of twelve mayors representing various municipalities in Metro Vancouver are urging federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani to deny parole for well-known B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton. They are also calling for a reassessment of the parole and sentencing system concerning “prolific offenders and mass murderers.”

Delta Mayor George Harvie and the other mayors sent a letter to Mr. Virani on April 24, expressing their concerns that allowing Mr. Pickton to apply for parole would damage the credibility of the justice system. They highlighted Mr. Pickton’s lack of remorse and the extreme nature of his crimes, labeling him as “irredeemable.” Granting him parole, they argue, would send a chilling message to crime victims.

The mayors emphasized that Mr. Pickton’s potential parole eligibility would reopen wounds for victims’ families, particularly Indigenous families and communities still in the process of healing. They urged Mr. Virani to take all necessary steps to keep Mr. Pickton incarcerated if he applies for parole and to reevaluate the parole and sentencing system promptly.

According to the letter, the Supreme Court of Canada invalidated a law in 2022 that allowed consecutive sentences with stacked parole ineligibility periods, effectively eliminating the concept of “life imprisonment” in Canada.

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The letter stressed the importance of aligning laws with the Charter while upholding justice principles to ensure appropriate penalties for severe crimes, maintain public trust in the justice system, and strike a balance between public safety, accused individuals’ rights, and the gravity of the offenses committed.

Earlier this year, relatives of Mr. Pickton’s victims voiced their concerns after he became eligible for parole. However, it remains unknown whether he has applied.

In December 2007, Mr. Pickton was convicted of six second-degree murder charges and received an automatic life sentence with a maximum 25-year parole ineligibility period. Legal counsel representing some family members of Mr. Pickton’s victims expressed doubts about his chances of parole, noting his incarceration in a supermax prison in Quebec.

The mayors who signed the letter include George Harvie, Ken Sim, John McEwen, Jamie Ross, Mike Hurley, Ken Berry, Nicole MacDonald, Brad West, Malcolm Brodie, Mark Sager, Megan Knight, and Meghan Lahti, representing various municipalities in the area.