Canada doesn't need more tough on crime legislation

Our country doesn't need mroe tough on crime legislation


There are liars, damn liars and statisticians who never tire of pointing out anomalies such as Abbotsford-Mission being Canada's murder capital.
It recorded more homicides per capita than any other metropolitan area in 2009 -- oh, my!
Nine. There were nine murders in Abbotsford-Mission.
Still, with only 160,000 residents, that works out to a lot "per capita."
If I lived out there, I don't think I'd be rushing to sell my house.
The volume of 2009 police-reported data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada revealed yet again we are a nation managing to combat evil without the federal Conservatives' ultraexpensive tough-on-crime program.
We should all take heart that the trend of the last decade has produced a greater than 20-per-cent drop in criminal offences. That's amazing.
For the sixth year in a row, from sea unto sea unto sea, the number of crimes fell dramatically -- 43,000 fewer than in 2008, which saw a decrease of 77,000 from 2007.
And we're talking about significant reductions in the kind of crimes that affect everybody and leave all of us feeling violated and vulnerable -- 17,000 fewer motor vehicle thefts, 10,000 fewer mischief offences and 5,000 fewer break-ins.
Still, some of the quirky statistical facts that surface among the data, such as the killing fields of Abbotsford, remain counterintuitive.
Much-celebrated centres of Prairie neighbourliness -- Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg -- look like violent outposts, Toronto a peaceable place.
Hogtown's seemingly as safe as pastoral Guelph or Disneylike Quebec City.
Hardly. When you focus on mathematical ratios, you can often get a distorted picture because of the small numbers involved in the violent-crime categories.
The numbers, nevertheless, shed a lot of light on the effectiveness of existing public safety policies and dispel the darkness of Tory fearmongering to support more prisons and tougher mandatory jail sentences.
Even kids have not escaped Justice Minister Rob Nicholson's anachronistic wrath: Spare the rod and you know what happens seems to be his rationale for stiffening juvenile penalties.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, too, is touting the end of two-for-one credit for time served in pre-trial custody as a great achievement.
The cost of that popular but controversial change is estimated to be at least $2 billion over five years, up from the original estimate of only $90 million over two years.
The price of the entire Conservative plan is simply sky-high -- perhaps $10 billion or more in increased policing, prosecution and corrections expenses.
"It does cost money to incarcerate people and I believe that Canadians have been willing to pay those costs up to this point and they'll continue to do so," Nicholson responds.
"What's the cost to victims when violent individuals are out on the street that shouldn't be?"
The government insists the Opposition is "soft on crime" and has delayed the Conservatives' most controversial measures. There are good reasons for such delays.
This package of solutions to a faux problem is a recipe for uncontrollable spending that will make the gun registry spree look prudent.
That's why -- with the feds trying to stir up emotions to support a tougher approach to crime and punishment -- the StatsCan report was refreshing, hopeful news.
If nothing else, it exposes the scofflaw-and-disorder legerdemain.
As the figures indicate, over the last decade, this country has become a safer, more civilized place.
We don't need to spend billions building more prisons to accommodate mandatory jail terms and 19th-century sentences. Our laws are working just fine.
It also explains why the Tories might want to eliminate the long-form census -- it's dreadful when political discussions get clouded by facts.

Province apologizes for timing of announcement on Li

Province apologizes for timing of announcement on Li

More guards, but no fence for Li's walks on grounds of mental health centre

The province apologized this morning for releasing, on the anniversary of Tim McLean's death, information on new security measures that will allow his killer, Vince Li, to walk the grounds of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

"If the timing of this information has caused one ounce additional pain to the McLean family, I certainly want to offer my profound regret for that," Health Minister Theresa Oswald told reporters this morning. She said the timing of the announcement was inadvertent.

"This is a family that has endured pain (that), thankfully, very few of us will ever know and no family should ever know," Oswald said. "And so if more information about the development of Mr. Li’s treatment on this day, or any day, hurts that family further, I think we should all feel regret for that. And certainly I do."

Li was found not criminally responsible last year for the July 30, 2008 beheading of 22-year-old McLean on a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie. He admitted responsibility for the attack, but a judge found him to be suffering from hallucinations and untreated schizophrenia at the time, which left him unable to appreciate or control his actions.

His doctors have said Li has made tremendous progress in the past two years at the centre, and two months ago the Criminal Code Review Board ruled that Li could begin taking two brief supervised outdoor passes a day.

A public uproar ensued and the province announced that Li wouldn’t be allowed to leave the centre’s secure forensic unit  additional security precautions were in place

Friday, the province issued a press release describing the new measures, adding that it would take an additional two months before they would be in force and Li would begin his strolls.

The new plan does not include the construction of a fence around the grounds that some in the community had called for.

Two more full-time security officers have been hired and will be dedicated to escorting forensic patients, including Li,  when required under disposition orders. A clinical staff member will also escort patients in such cases.

The walks will be restricted to periods when staff numbers are at their peak.

All risks will be assessed by the treatment team before Li — or any other patient requiring such security measures — is given a pass to walk the grounds.

The Selkirk centre says it has shared its security plans with the RCMP and will advise the Mounties when the walks begin.

The majority of the public is ignorant and uneducated regarding the severity of Li's mental illness. They are advocating for execution, deportation, imprisonment and denial of human rights, which are all merely revenge, not justice. Li's actions were unintentional and his disorder is to blame. He should not be deprived of his human rights. Fresh air and sunshine are beneficial to his treatment. Confinement can often worsen mental illnesses. Being allowed 15 minute walks outside, escorted by two security guards, would not pose a risk to anybody. Where is the compassion and sympathy for the mentally ill?! Obviously what Li did was horrific and gruesome, but he was experiencing a psychotic episode and was unaware of what he was doing at the time, therefore, he cannot and should not be held responsible. Legally, he is not a criminal and he should not be treated worse than one. Here in civilized societies, we don't fence in and deprive the mentally unstable of their human rights. That is completely inhumane, cruel and barbaric. Public opinion should never trump knowledgeable opinion and decisions made by the review board who considered public safety in their decision to allow Li walks. Forgiveness is the only way to move past this horrible experience. Certainly, not an easy thing to do, especially in a society that worships revenge and retribution. 

The reason he's not behind bars is because he has schizophrenia. I would suggest you do some hard research on mental illness, as you admit you don't know anything about why he's not behind bars.

Were he in jail, without meds and/or therapy, he would most definitely hurt a staff member or another inmate. Do you want that? I should hope not. I believe he should never be released, but for goodness sakes it's just an escorted walk. Maybe there should be a fence, but if he's taking his meds, and has increased security guards, then I'm not too worried about anything happening.

There's a reason why we're proud to be Canadian. Because we value a little thing called human rights. We are also supposed to be evolved enough to recognize mental illness, although some of us seem to still be down there in medival times.

 

Vince Li to be allowed supervised walks in unfenced yard

Vince Li to walk in unfenced area

There will be more guards but no fence at a Winnipeg-area mental health facility where beheader Vince Li has been granted escorted walks.

Li is being held at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre after being found not criminally responsible for stabbing and beheading Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus exactly two years ago, on July 30, 2008.

The Manitoba NDP government stated in a news release issued Friday that two more full-time security officers have been hired and will be dedicated to escorting "forensic" patients.

All security staff members at SMHC are equipped with handcuffs and radios and designated special constables with special police tactical training from Manitoba Sheriff Services, according to the release.

About $400,000 has recently been spent on security upgrades, which include more video surveillance and access controls throughout the property.

A clinical staff member will also be present for the walks, which will only take place when staff levels are at their highest and will not occur until all risks have been assessed and security measures are in place.

Shortly after the press release was issued, Manitoba Minister of Health Theresa Oswald apologized to McLean's family.

"If the timing of this information has caused one ounce additional pain to the McLean family, I certainly want to offer my profound regret for that," she said.

The Criminal Code Review Board, which examines Li's care every year, decided this spring that he should be allowed walks with two staff members on the unfenced grounds.

Soon after that decision was made, the Opposition party Progressive Conservatives called on the government to transfer Li to a fenced-in facility outside the province.

Attorney General Andrew Swan rejected that idea because decisions about Li's custody and similar cases are made by the review board — an independent body that operates under federal guidelines — not the province.

2 months before Li gets walks

The government news release, which does not name Li specifically, stated it will take about two months to get all the security arrangements implemented.

Other recent enhancements include external and internal security reviews that led to policy and procedure changes, including increasing the detail and frequency of searches of rooms and people in the forensic area, the news release noted.

The measures were designed to ensure public safety and take into consideration the needs of the general population at SMHC who are there solely for health care, the release stated.

The SMHC provides long-term mental health and acquired brain injury in-patient treatment and rehabilitation services to residents of Manitoba whose treatment and rehabilitation needs cannot be met by other services in the province.

The security plan has been shared with the RCMP and they will be told when the walks begin.

Tim McLean, 22, was on his way home to Winnipeg when he was slain on a Greyhound bus on July 30th, 2008.

Vince Li was declared not criminally responsible last year for the killing of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus in 2008.

Security measures to be followed when Vince Li strolls grounds
Province sorry about timing of announcement
The province apologized Friday for announcing, on the anniversary of Tim McLean's death, the conditions under which convicted killer Vince Li will receive escorted passes from the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.
Health Minister Theresa Oswald said she was sorry for the gaffe, while the Conservative Opposition said it was a sign the Selinger government was more concerned for Li than the feelings of McLean's family.
The family had just returned from a morning visit to McLean's grave Friday when it learned through the media the province had approved a security plan so Li could begin taking two 15-minute strolls on the grounds of the mental health centre. The passes, which are expected to begin in two months, were ordered by the Criminal Code Review Board in early June.
Amanda Corrigan, McLean's sister, said she didn't appreciate learning about the new security procedures from a Free Press reporter. The province should have given the family notice before the information was released to the media, she said.
"I just think it's in bad taste (the way the situation was handled)."
Li was found not criminally responsible last year for the July 30, 2008 beheading of 22-year-old McLean on a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie. He admitted responsibility for the attack but a judge found him to be suffering from hallucinations and untreated schizophrenia at the time, which left him unable to appreciate or control his actions.
But over the past two years, Li has made great progress, his doctors said earlier this year. They convinced the review board to authorize the escorted strolls, prompting a public uproar. Justice Minister Andrew Swan said at the time the province would bar Li from walking outside the centre's locked forensic unit "unless and until" new security measures were in place.
On Friday, the province issued a press release setting out those new measures -- before it dawned on the minister or her staff the timing couldn't have been worse. "If the timing of this information has caused one ounce (of) additional pain to the McLean family, I certainly want to offer my profound regret for that," Oswald said. She said the timing of the announcement was inadvertent.
"This is a family that has endured pain (which), thankfully, very few of us will ever know and that no family should ever know. And so if more information about the development of Mr. Li's treatment on this day or any day hurts that family further, I think we should all feel regret for that. And certainly I do."
Conservative justice critic Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach) said Oswald's apology, while welcome, speaks to the fact that "everything about this decision is driven toward Mr. Li, and there has not been any consideration (given) to the victim's family."
He said his party still believes Li should be taking his escorted walks in a secure area or be transferred to a more appropriate institution.


Two security officers with 40 hours of police tactical training as well as non-violent crisis intervention training and one clinical staff member will escort Li on his walks.
The walks will be restricted to periods when staffing at the centre is at its peak. The centre has hired two new full-time security officers, bringing its complement to 12. There is also a full-time security manager.
Li's treatment team will assess all risks before issuing each individual pass.
No pass privileges will be approved until all security measures are in place in about two months. For instance, the centre is still consulting security experts about how much distance guards should give Li while he is out on his strolls.
The centre recently installed $400,000 in security equipment upgrades, including more video surveillance and access controls throughout the property.

Beheader could begin outdoor walks in 2 months
Vince Li could begin escorted walks with security staff around the Selkirk Mental Health Centre in about two months.
Exactly two years ago Friday, Li killed and brutalized Tim McLean aboard a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie.
Coincidentally, the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, where Li is being treated after being found not criminally responsible for the killing, released its plan Friday for upgrading security to accommodate a Criminal Code Review Board ruling that he be granted escorted walks around the unfenced grounds and to other areas of the complex like the gym, chapel and library.
McLean's father Tim Sr. slammed the timing of the announcement.
"We're very saddened by waking up to that news on Timothy's anniversary (of his death)," he said. "It's very insensitive."
Health Minister Theresa Oswald said the plans were made public Friday because that's when they were finalized.
"We have committed to keep the public informed. (The Selkirk MHC staff) were ready to go with their information today," Oswald said. "If the timing of this information has caused one ounce of additional pain to the McLean family, I want to offer my sincere regret."
The plans for Li's walks include the hiring of two more full-time security officers who will be dedicated to escorting Li and other forensic mental health patients on walks.
The centre's plan for Li also includes allowing the walks only at times when staffing levels are at their peak and assessing the risk before each walk is granted.
The RCMP has been advised of the plans and will be notified when the walks begin.
The new measures should be in place about two months from now, the centre said Friday. The walks can begin once the measures are in place.
Oswald said no fence will be installed around the complex for several reasons, including the fact that the next step in Li's treatment plan specified that he be allowed to walk in an unconfined environment and that it wouldn't be fair to the vast majority of the 230 or so patients at the centre, most of whom are not there as forensic patients.
"Selkirk Mental Health Centre is not a prison and ought not be treated like one," Oswald said, noting doing so would set mental health back 100 years. "The uniqueness of this case has people afraid but we need to be really careful about the stigmatization of mental illness."

Plans for Li to walk
Vince Li could begin escorted walks with security staff around the Selkirk Mental Health Centre in about two months.
Exactly two years ago Friday, Li killed and beheaded Tim McLean aboard a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie.
Coincidentally, the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, where Li is being treated after being found not criminally responsible for the killing, released its plan Friday for upgrading security to accommodate a Criminal Code Review Board ruling that Li be granted escorted walks around the unfenced grounds and to other areas of the complex like the gym, chapel and library.
The new measures should be in place about two months from now and the walks can begin once the measures are in place.
The plans for Li’s walks include the hiring of two more full-time security officers, who will be dedicated to escorting Li and other forensic mental health patients on walks.
The walks will only occur at times when staffing levels are at their peak and risk will be assessed before each walk is granted.
The plans do not include the installation of a fence, which Health Minister Theresa Oswald said was due to several reasons.
One is that the next step in Li’s treatment plan specified that he be allowed to walk in an unconfined environment. The other is that it wouldn’t be fair to the vast majority of the 230 or so patients at the centre, most of whom are not there as forensic patients.
“Selkirk Mental Health Centre is not a prison and ought not be treated like one,” Oswald said, noting doing so would set mental health treatment back 100 years. “The uniqueness of this case has people afraid but we need to be really careful about the stigmatization of mental illness.”
Oswald said it would be “foolhardy” not to acknowledge that part of the reason for the security is for Li’s own protection, but that the primary concern is public safety.
Danah Bellehumeur, CEO of the Selkirk facility, said no specific threats to Li’s safety have been received, although they have received some “concerns.”
“It’s just people who didn’t like the decision the (Criminal Code Review) board made,” she said.
Bellehumeur said her facility has tailored its security plans to the specific needs of other patients in the past, but said the level of security being imposed on Li is higher than other patients.
The RCMP has been advised of the plans and will be notified when Li’s walks begin.

Measures announced on tragic anniversary
The fact that security plans for Vince Li’s escorted walks were made public on the two-year anniversary of his crime did not go unnoticed Friday.
Tim McLean Sr., whose son Tim Jr. was brutally killed by Li on July 30, 2008, found out about the plans Friday by reading about them on an online news site shortly after he’d returned from visiting the cemetery where his son was laid to rest.
He was not impressed.
“We’re very saddened by waking up to that news on Timothy’s anniversary,” he said. “It’s very insensitive.”
Tory justice critic Kelvin Goertzen also took issue with the timing.
“I think it’s shameful we’re talking about this today,” Goertzen said Friday. “I think it’s indicative of how all the attention has gone to Mr. Li and not to Tim McLean’s family.”
Health Minister Theresa Oswald said the plans were made public Friday because that’s when they were finalized.
“We have committed to keep the public informed. (The Selkirk MHC staff) were ready to go with their information today. The Selkirk Mental Health Centre committed to come forward with it as soon as possible,” Oswald said Friday. “If the timing of this information has caused one ounce of additional pain to the McLean family I want to offer my sincere regret.”

I completely agree with Li being allowed to have walks outside. He is not legally a criminal, but a mentally ill individual and therefore, should not be deprived of his basic human rights, that even prisoners are entitled to. He is still entitled to his human rights. Confinement can hinder treatment and have adverse effects whereas walking outside and getting fresh air can be beneficial to Li's treatment and mental condition. He deserves that right. He did not kill McLean intentionally and was in a completely different mind state 2 years ago than he is today. He does not pose a danger to the public, especially being escorted by two security officers. He should not be punished for actions which were unintentional. This man is mentally sick and needs help and treatment to overcome and manage his illness. Further depriving him of his rights would not be beneficial. That is merely revenge. This man is mentally ill. Justice has been served. Why would Li run away? He is in a completely different and improved mindset and knows what the severity of his crime was. Society should not be advocating vengeance, execution, deportation or imprisonment of the mentally ill. It appears as if our society lacks any sort of compassion and sympathy towards the mentally ill. What Li did was unintentional. He did not understand the consequences or nature of his action at the time and he was not mentally present. He was completely out of touch with reality and his logic and reason were impaired. 

Apparently someone who has a chemical/electrical imbalance in the brain needs to be kept in a dark cell and never allowed out. Perhaps all people who post thoughts like that should give simular consideration to anyone suffering from a mental impairment, such as Alheimers, certain forms of stroke, Autism,etc, any of which can manifest into violent behaviour.

Sticking your head in the sand, or other places only serves to never change your perspective.

This man needs constant help for the rest of his life, its tragic the events that happened, but that doesn't mean we get to make Mr. Li societies punching bag for something he has no control over. And before anyone says 'he should have stayed on his meds' do a little reading on the matter of compliance and the mentally ill, then you'll understand why he went off his meds.

I can't believe folks who say Li is a criminal.

Li was suffering sever mental illness of the worst kind.

it can happen to anyone.

as disgusting as the comments are, I still pray schizophrenia does not strike someone in your family.

Tim McClean's death was a tragedy. And a failure of our HEALTH services.
there are Thousands of mentally ill persons walking free, free to not take their meds, because YOU, Society cried aloud about the costs....

Well, now the costs are a lot higher because of the willful blindness of society

What's the difference between this case and the case where someone had a seizure while driving and killed someone? Nothing, but I am guessing most of you wouldn't have a problem if the driver was allowed to be free. Double standard here. Mental illness VS physical illness - same thing.

The comments here all point to exactly why there is no respect for people with serious mental illnesses, whether you like it or not, the guy had no idea what the hell he was doing, and its that attitude i.e. the ignoring of his mental illness, that led to him being out in the community in the first place without treatment and to his actions on that bus. He may be seriously mentally ill, but it amazes me at the inability for people who are not to actually think before they open their mouths. If we treated mental health seriously, he would have been treated along time ago and most likely nothing would have happened that night.

You people are over the top. If you want to live somewhere with strict "tough on crime" retribution, why don't you move to Texas? They have it there. They also have a HUGE crime rate. Go figure. It's been repeatedly proven that "tough on crime" does NOT equal "less crime". The cover of this week's Economist is precisely about how prison's in the US are overflowing.

And while you're at it, please, for the love of god, count your blessings that you weren't born with a defect that causes such a horrific mental illness. This man probably lives in his very own personal mental hell every day of his life. Four guards and an occasional walk is fine, IMO. He clearly needs to be kept under guard the rest of his life (barring some miracle cure). But I'm sorry, this was not some heated crime of a vindictive, angry individual. It was the crime of a seriously mentally unwell person. It's not black and white. I am just so grateful that I don't have such horrible fortunes.

I also express the utmost sympathies to the victim's family. Nobody wins in this situation. No matter the outcome of retribution.

I think we need to separate our anger and revulsion at the act that Li committed while psychotic, from the fact that he is ill and needs humane treatment and rehabilitation.

Even as I write this, I feel overwhelming anger and disgust at the tragedy and want to blame somebody. But the rational and educated part of me reflects on the nature of the incident, and feels glad that we are an enlightened society that recognizes and treats illness.

Sorrowful as I feel for the McLean family, I think these walks are the right thing to do.

you miss the main point in our legal system. Li commited no crime. A delusion commited the crime. Li had no intent, murderous or otherwise to cause harm.

The events that unfolded were beyond Li's control. Only meds would have helped, and the Liberal and liberal society has said we cannot force them to take medicine..... Therefore, Society initiated the events that happened.

Society needs to take a look in the mirror and decide how they want to deal with mental illness. Cause Mental Illness is on the rise, and things are gonna get a lot worse if we don't deal with it now

The man is mentally ill, he is not a monster even though he did a monstrous, horrific thing. I would assume he is on some kind of medication and surely this is not the same as him walking free down Portage Avenue.

I agree that this should be left to the experts and not a lynch mob.

What is wrong with you people? I never once dreamed in my life that I lived in a country where so many people were intolerable towards the mentally ill. Have you never come into contact with these people before? He's not responsible for his crimes, he's schizophrenic. You might want to look it up, then perhaps visit a mental hospital and see for yourselves. I really hope that you along with your family does not get diagnosed, but if it happened.. then you'd understand.
I wish Tim didn't have to die, it's a very very disgusting and sad way to go, but it happened and he's not criminally responsible.
Grow up, get a grip, and get educated. The public is so ignorant and uneducated about mental illnesses.

"In his written ruling, the judge said those who are profoundly ill do not have the mental capacity to intentionally commit a crime. "It is clear that since the 19th century the law has distinguished between those persons who commit criminal acts because of a mental disorder and sane persons," Scurfield said."

He was found to be not criminally responsible due to his illness. Read the article.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking, of contact with reality, and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking with significant social or occupational dysfunction.

Imagine suffering this on a daily basis. Imagine someone you love having to live through this. I bet you'd be a little more sympathetic.

He's a very sick man. Yes, what he did was beyond horrible, but lynching him won't help anyone.

good for him to get this walk .all mentally people should have rights for their health under supervision by guards. we don't act like barbarians to stop the ill people for better treatment in this country. nobody wants to be sick and insane,they deserve a 2nd chance to get back on their feet ( heathy )

I bet everyone on here has family and friends that suffer from mental illness, Yes they vary in degrees of severity, but can any of you actually say you know what it's like to suffer from severe schizophrenic episodes? Get a grip you're all starting to sound a lot like the Republican band wagon.

For those who seem to want Li hanged, drawn and quartered or burned at the stake:

Whether he's mentally ill or just a menace to society, criminally responsible or not, this doesn't happen for two good reasons:

1) Punishment in the justice system is supposed to serve as a deterrant to those who might otherwise wish to commit a crime. This only works on criminals who are "rational" thinkers in the sense that they will weigh the risks and benefits of said crime before deciding whether or not to commit it. This clearly does not apply to a man who lives an entire life in normality, and then suddenly, for no apparent reason and for no personal gain, commits suich an atrocity and then asks to be killed afterwards.

2) So you disregard my first point, and say you'd like to see him pay for what he's done proportionately. In your mind, the justice system is all about vengeance. One doesn't need to know very much history in order to understand why this rage-driven, "burn em at the stake" mob mentality can be problematic. The justice system is supposed to protect citizens first and foremost (although you might argue it hasn't done this well enough as of late), it's purpose is not to enact revenge and fulfil our bloodlust.

To those suggesting that he be deported to China: he can't be. He was a already a Canadian citizen when the crime was committed. AFAIK Canada has no provision for stripping citizenship for committing a crime. They may deport non-citizens, but once you're accepted as a citizen you are the responsibility of Canada...for better or for worse.

Lots of ignorant people on this board putting their two cents in on someone who a legitimate mental health illness. So if your son or daughter was psychotic or hearing voices to do it and killed someone, you would throw them away like a piece of trash? We are in the 21st century , people. Get informed, read something about mental illness. I am sorry for the young man's family but i have a little compassion for what Vince Li is going through too.

According to the courts, this man is a patient, not a criminal. As such, he has been treated not as a criminal, but rather as a high-risk patient. It seems that he is now considered to be not so high-risk a patient. This is a medical evaluation by experienced professionals.
Cases like this are taken very seriously. There is no pressure for patients to progress through a system towards release. Their treatment, restrictions and potential release are guided by medical evaluation, and it doesn't matter to the doctors if the whole process takes 6 months or 142 years. So there is no reason for laypersons to suggest that the patient is not ready fro whatever step if the people responsible for his care think otherwise.
Yes, he did psychopathic things while in a psychotic state. This does not mean that he is some kind of Hannibal Lecter just waiting for the opportunity to strike again. He was very sick and did horrible things. It may that he never gets released and that he lives the rest of his life in a psychiatric institution.
But that doesn't mean he needs to be treated like a rabid animal. As long as he is supervised and he is taking the appropriate medication or other treatment, he is likely not a significant risk to anybody.
Also, I doubt the Selkirk facility is in the middle of town. If he did try to run AND got away from those guarding him, he would not get far - especially when all the people looking for him know the area and he does not.

This man's medical history is no one's business. Bi-Polar doesn't work the way you people think. Things just happen, rage, sorrow, grief, anxiety, happyness, sexual urges, shame... ALL the emotions that all of you have that are normal are exagerated in a bipolar person as much as 10 times. They cannot help it, it just happens. Agreed he is dangerous when there is no one monitoring his meds, but since this can 100% be controlled with the proper meds, as long as someone is monitoring it he is perfectly safe.

It's a wonderfull thing that Canada isn't like the US where they execute Mentally ill 13 year olds for killing the person that sodomized them since they were little.

This man has to live with what he did the rest of his life, he will be in that prison, everytime the guild phase of the emotions cycle in, he relives every evil rotten thing he has ever thought and done since he can remember over and over and over. Don't sit there on your high horses and think that you know what is best for this man. Remember in the Bible it says judge not, unless ye be judged.

After reading a couple pages of comments, it is suddenly easier to see why the treatment of the severely mentally ill is left to trained medical professionals instead of the consensus of a town hall meeting.

Maybe the RCMP should have done something at the time of the attacks. But their lack of action, whether the best decision at the time or not, is not the fault of Mr. Li or the people charged with his care.

Li committed horrifying acts. But a court found that he had no choice in the matter - he did not have the capacity to choose between right and wrong, if he even had the capacity to choose at all. Paul Bernardo was found to have chosen to commit his horrifying acts. That is why Li is treated differently than Bernardo.

For those who think a few walks outside in a limited area under the close supervision of three people for a short period of time before being back behind locked doors again is equal to the freedom most people enjoy, well, they have a funny way of looking at things.

If Li was on the criminal side, and was subjected to involuntary medical treatment and detention for an indeterminate period of time, this would be found to violate the Charter of Rights, and might well be classified as abuse, if not torture. Psychiatric detention is only "getting off easy" to those that have never experienced it.

Most people's definition of justice is extremely frightening. 

It may comfort people to know that the plea of not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder (NCRMD) is very rarely accepted by the courts. Also, on average a person found to be NCRMD is confined for longer in a mental institution than they would have been confined in a jail if they were simply found guilty.

The fact that the act this person committed was so horrifying seems to be a good indication that he really was suffering from a serious mental disorder when he killed. There could be no reason why a sane person would kill a stranger in such a disgusting fashion while on a bus full of witnesses for no apparent reason.

I expect Li will probably be locked up for the rest of his life. If he is released and harms someone else, not only would the entire NCRMD system be condemned by the general public, but I'm sure that the members of the Criminal Code Review Board would feel a tremendous guilt. The Review Board has no incentive to release Li unless they are positive that he poses zero risk to reoffend.

The system is not broken. Li's act was horrifying and he will not be released in the near future. Allowing him to go on heavily supervised walks will not lead to disaster.

Pretty routine progressive procedures afforded MANY seriously disturbed mental health-violent cases. Some psychiatric hospitals have the means such as high security forensic wards designed to control against harming others/self. As some patients get better or if their risks are reduced, they may earn more privileges.

Canada has a pretty progressive stance in that people like Li will get sentenced under Lt Governor warrant to be seconded to mental health facility instead of a prison.

Many other countries might simply pack him away in a prison without intervention. Its a tough thing to accept given the terrible injustice delivered to the victim, but this kind of approach tends to separate civilized societies from barbaric ones.

Psychiatrists just understand that there's no point in severely punishing someone who can't even understand why they did what they did. It would be like punishing a rabid animal to try to stop it from attacking.

Once a patient has such a serious mental break, it is unlikely that they return to acceptable standards for safe public behaviour. Unfortunately, he'll probably get out and be re-arrested. That's the way, though. The victim in the justice system is always the criminal."

First, you are wrong. Most people return to full functionality. Cite your source, because mine is in interviews with his pyschiatrist which were broadcast.

Second, he is not a criminal, deemed not mentally competent. He is a shizophrenic.

And you, along with 90 others, have commited an offense under the Charter of Rights & Freedoms and Manitoba Human Rights Code.

Discrimination on basis of real or perceived mental disability.

This makes you a criminal, and I would say with your internet anonymity you are highly likely to re-offend.

This man does not deserve to be punished. He is entitled to any human rights as you or I. He is being held in a mental institution because there is a potential for harming himself or others. He did not choose this disease and he is not to blame for not taking his meds because he had not been prescribed any. He had not been diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to this incident because he had not shown symptoms.
He deserves our sympathy.
And yes so does Tim Mclean and his family.

This is a mentally ill human being. You guys are a bunch of barbarian savages with bloodlust in your posts. The man needs walks. Leave it be.

What is mind boggling to me is the ignorance shown on this board. I am not talking about malicious ignorance, but just the amount of people who don`t even understand the first thing about mental illness and the way people are sentenced when they are found to be *not criminally responsible*.

Most don`t even seem know what `psychotic` mean. I have seen it confused with `psychopathic`in the past!

Vince Li is schizophrenic and was expedriencing a psychotic episode when he killed Tim. He is therefore not criminally responsible. He was insane at the time. He is still being held responsible (obviously, he did it) but not *criminally* responsible.

Only people who are found criminally responsible are sentenced to the death penalty.

Mentally ill people who are found `not guilty by reason of insanity` or as they call it here `not criminally responsible`are not killed. They are treated, not punished which is as it should be.

My blood runs cold at the brutal and verbose hatred of the ill that I see here. Any one who has a brain can become mentally ill at any time. Pray to God that you do not ever have to face this in yourself or those you love. Maybe when you are isolated because your family and everyone you know curses you and walks out you will learn some compassion. Until then, you cannot consider yourselves decent or ethical. The inabllity to feel empathy is one of the first signs of psycopatholgy.

If this man had been identified and helped when he first started to come apart...If our system put as much into helping the mentally ill as it does other kinds of disorders...If the mentally ill were not bullied with these kind of comments and all the ones that are supposedly funny, maybe...

Li is not legally a criminal, but a mentally ill individual who should is still entitled to his basic human rights. The majority of the public is seeking only revenge, not justice. Li should not be punished for actions which were unintentional. Li needs mental treatment and counseling, not punishment and further deprivations. We cannot blame Li for what happened; we can only blame schizophrenia. This man needs humane treatment and rehabilitation. The public appears to be largely ignorant and uneducated regarding mental illnesses, which is sad. 

Hells Angel's clubhouse raided and seized

Hells' clubhouse raided, seized

It looks like it's the end of the road for a haven for Hells Angels after the clubhouse on a serene stretch of Scotia Street was raided.

Manitoba Justice officials, with the support of Winnipeg police, moved in Thursday morning to take control of the well-known biker hangout after the province obtained a court order allowing the property to be seized.

Manitoba Justice filed an interim court order, which triggered the raid. Early in the day police had blocked off the entire street, located behind the Kildonan Presbyterian Cemetery. Later, only the property itself was off-limits.

The house has allegedly been used as a site to plan and carry out criminal activity such as money laundering. That makes it liable for forfeiture under the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act.

No arrests were made related to the seizure, said Gord Schumacher, director of the province's criminal property forfeiture unit.

"We go after property, not people," he said.

"It pretty much looks like a clubhouse. It's a bar, basically," said Schumacher, describing the inside of the house, which he said had a "decent layout."

"It's a place where the Hells Angels hang their hats."

A source said the two associates of the biker gang in the clubhouse at the time of the raid were told to leave.

Besides the clubhouse, police seized two motorcycles and four vehicles on the property, plus all contents of the house such as furniture. However, most Hells Angels-related paraphernalia was already gone, seized in December during Project Divide, a major police gang operation, and two previous projects as well.

Schumacher said the property owner, Leonard Beauchemin, has 40 days to file a statement of defence to refute the province's allegations.

Beauchemin lives in Ontario. He is not a full-patch Hells Angels member, Schumacher said.

The legal trigger for Thursday's raid allows for proceeds from unlawful acts and property used in an unlawful acts to be forfeited to the government. The property at 2679 Scotia St., which contains a large one-storey building set far back into the well-kept yard, is at the end of the quiet, tree-lined street, flanked by a clearing to the north and the Red River to the east.

The Hells Angels do not own the Scotia Street property, said Winnipeg defence lawyer Jay Prober.

Prober said he is representing a client involved with the seizure though he could not specify who. He has put calls in to Manitoba Justice officials regarding the action.

"We'll have to see whether it's an illegal or a legal seizure," said Prober, who is trying to retrieve items of clothing belonging to his client he said were taken in the raid.

Neighbours, who did not wish to be identified, said they are relieved about the raid but doubt it will be the end of the ordeal. One neighbour said property values on the street have fallen as much as 20 per cent because of the biker gang clubhouse.

Hells clubhouse seized

Manitoba Justice officials and Winnipeg police seized the Hells Angels Winnipeg clubhouse Thursday.

The property, located at 2679 Scotia St., has been seized under the provincial Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, a civil law that allows property used in unlawful acts to be seized by the government.

The law is often used to seize houses that served as marijuana grow operations, but in a statement released Thursday, Manitoba Justice said it alleges the Scotia Street clubhouse was being used by the biker gang "as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity."

The allegations have not been proven in court, but the clubhouse was seized Thursday under an interim court order.

Hells Angels' clubhouse seized in Winnipeg

The Manitoba government has temporarily seized a Hells Angels clubhouse in Winnipeg and is seeking court permission to take it over permanently.

Manitoba Justice has filed a statement of claim in the Court of Queen's Bench for the forfeiture of the property and its contents at 2679 Scotia St. in the city's Rivergrove area.

Justice Department spokesman Gordon Schumacher said the property has been used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity.

"There are a number of offences that we are alleging took place here, including money laundering, breaches of the Liquor Control Act, proceeds of crime, amongst others. And it's based on those charges that were here today."

Police said the Scotia Street home has been a Hells Angels Clubhouse for just over a decade.

An interim order has allowed the province to seize the property immediately, according to a news release issued by the province.

The claim alleges the property was used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity. That makes it subject to forfeiture under Manitoba's Criminal Property Forfeiture Act.

According to the legislation, proceeds from unlawful acts and property used in an unlawful act may be forfeited to the government by order of the court. Along with real estate, items such as cash and vehicles can also be forfeited.

Proceeds from the sale of forfeited property are placed in a fund to support activities such as:

• Compensating victims of the unlawful activity.
• Remedying the effects of the unlawful activity.
• Promoting safer communities by funding programs that reduce or prevent crime or enhance the practices and training of law enforcement agencies.
• Covering the costs of the court application and seizing, managing and selling property ordered forfeited by a court.

Property ordered forfeited by a court can be sold, donated or destroyed.

The province hasn't indicated what it plans to do in this case.

A total of 35 statements of claim have been filed since the legislation was enacted in 2004.

Seized clubhouse PR
Taking away the clubhouse of the Hells Angels’ Manitoba chapter — at least temporarily — isn’t going to eliminate the outlaw motorcycle gang’s presence, a street source says.
Hells Angels members won’t have an official hangout if they lose the clubhouse but it won’t put an end to the chapter, the source said.
“It’s good PR for the police but the band will still march on even without a place to chill,” the source said.
A Hells Angels clubhouse in Oshawa, Ont., was seized by that province’s government and demolished in March. Similar seizures have occurred in other Canadian cities.
The Manitoba government’s move to take control of the biker club’s lair is the latest chapter in the back-and-forth saga between organized crime and law enforcement in Manitoba.
Lately, law enforcement seems to be coming out on top against Hells Angels members and associates.
Police have had tremendous success in finding trusted people to flip and become paid informants to infiltrate the Hells Angels or Zig Zag Crew, its so-called street crew.
Many Hells Angels members and associates are serving lengthy prison sentences or are in custody awaiting the resolution of charges.
The number of Manitoba Hells Angels members on the street is unclear.
Three long-term undercover projects — Defence, Drill and Divide — by the Manitoba integrated organized crime task force resulted in charges against more than 60 people between 2006 and 2010. The clubhouse was raided each time.
Manitoba Justice officials and Winnipeg Police Service officers moved in and temporarily seized the clubhouse at 2679 Scotia St. on Thursday under the provincial Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, a civil law that allows property used in unlawful acts to be seized by the government.
In court documents the government alleges the clubhouse was being used “as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity.”
The province has started legal proceedings to take over the secluded property. The property’s legal owner, Leonard Beauchemin, has 40 days to file a statement of defence.

Just because the house was raided and seized, does not mean the Hells Angels will disappear. They will find another house where they can plan their criminal activities.  This is not the end of the Hells Angels.

The clubhouse was ALLEGEDLY used to plan and carry out criminal activities. Shouldn't the state have to PROVE the property was used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity, instead of simply "allege"? There should be a court decision prior to a seizure. This is a clear invasion of civil liberties. Plus, it has not been proven that ALL the individuals who lived in the house were involved in this so-called planning, yet all of their items are being seized! 

I have trouble with the logic here.

The house is owned by some guy that lives in Ontario.

I'm guessing that he rented the house out.

Now he has 40 days to file a statement of defence??? For what??? Charging too much rent??

To me, this is no different if I rent a property that I own to a person or persons and they do something illegal inside that house....does that mean I forfeit my house??? Makes no sense as the landlord has very little control over what is done behind the closed doors of his rented property. He/she cannot just walk in unannounced to look at what is happening at any given time. They have to give notice to the tenant.

The article states that the house has a nice layout and the yard is well kept. If I'm the landlord I would think of this as a model tenant. Rent is paid, yard is maintained.

I dunno...

I wonder if the government would have tried this if the house the Hells Angels rented was some $20,000 hovel on Magnus and not maintained....I think not. 

Does this mean that if any level of government passes a law that is clearly an invasion of Canadian civil liberties (found to be criminal) their offices can be seized and sold? haha.

Are people losing their homes they unknowingly rent to people who turn around and used them for grow operations? did the HA actively plan criminal activity from the house or were they somewhere else? How does one prove that?

Some other questions.

I see many (including the press) state that the Hells Angels is a criminal organization and that they are all committing crimes. This is derived from the theory that some of the Hells Angels are in prison for crimes. Therefore all of them are active in that endeavour.

Okay. Based on that theory.

[Take] Winnipeg Police Service officers ... charged or convicted of serious crimes. .

The question I have is this. Did they plan those crimes in their homes and cars? Did the government seize their "stuff". Based on the logic for the seizure of the HA clubhouse the law should have taken the stuff of these officers. Also, because they were WPS officers does that mean that all WPS officers are criminals?

My point being that just because one person from a group of friends or co-workers commits a crime does not mean that everyone else is guilty too.

I know...people will not like what I say here. However, I ask these questions in an effort to get people thinking. If we let the government tread on the rights of one group, what group is next?

Freedom is important...many good people fought and died for us to have it. [edited]

"The claim alleges the property was used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity. That makes it subject to forfeiture under Manitoba's Criminal Property Forfeiture Act."


Shouldnt the state have to prove the property was used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity rather than just 'allege'?

I am no fan of HA, but there should be a court decsion prior to seizure?

"The claim alleges the property was used as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity. That makes it subject to forfeiture under Manitoba's Criminal Property Forfeiture Act."

With the same rationale , most political offices , lawyers offices ,police stations and churches should be seized under this act as well.

This legislation is awful. They don't have to prove anything to take your property, just have a suspicion and your house and car are seized. How does this stuff stand up against the charter ?

They will just move to a new place.

are we living in Canada, the Governments can just walk in and take what they want under these conditions?....I am not a Hell's Angel fan by any means but the way this is happening doesn't seem right...

The Crown alleges that criiminal activity were carried out here so the property is to be forfeited?

There, but for the Grace of God , go you or I.

Nothing proven, but alleged.

Seriously, what kind of legislation is this?! Complete invasion of civil liberties, if the government is under no obligation to prove anything before seizing property! They just have to "allege" something! How does that stand up against the Charter? That is wrong. Nothing has been proven, merely alleged. 

One of Phoenix Sinclair's killers appealing to Supreme Court

Phoenix Sinclair's killer appealing to high court

One of Phoenix Sinclair's killers will appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court, but Karl McKay's lawyer says the case shouldn't delay a long-planned inquiry.

Along with Phoenix's mother, Samantha Kematch, McKay was convicted of first-degree murder in the child's gruesome 2005 death, a killing that highlighted failures in the province's child-welfare system.

The Manitoba Court of Appeal rejected appeals by Kematch and McKay, and earlier this week, Kematch's lawyer said she had decided not to appeal her conviction to the Supreme Court.

But lawyer Mike Cook said it has always been McKay's intention to appeal to Canada's top court. Cook said he's hoping to file the paperwork in September. The holdup is related to wrangling over funding for the appeal from Legal Aid.

Cook said he will argue that the trial judge erred by allowing a too-broad definition of forcible confinement. Under the Criminal Code, someone is deemed to have committed first-degree murder instead of second-degree murder or manslaughter if they forcibly confined the victim at the time of the slaying.

Cook said Phoenix was never physically confined at the time of her death.

An appeal could again delay a long-planned inquiry into Phoenix's death and the role the child welfare system played in failing to protect her. The inquiry was first promised four years ago by then-premier Gary Doer, but the province has said all court proceedings must be completed before the inquiry can start.

Earlier this week, when Kematch abandoned her appeal, the province said an inquiry could start as early as this fall.

Cook said there is no reason McKay's appeal should delay that process.

"I personally think (the inquiry) can proceed. We're arguing a very narrowly construed point of law and it's not dependent on the facts," Cook said. "I don't think it's a bar at all."

Kematch and McKay neglected, confined and repeatedly beat Phoenix and forced her to eat her own vomit.

The girl's stepbrothers testified she was often hit, choked, shot with a BB gun and forced to spend days and nights lying naked in the basement of the family's home on the Fisher River First Nation north of Winnipeg.

Phoenix had been in and out of care and her death highlighted failures in the province's fractured child-welfare system.

I agree with Karl McKay's lawyer, that Phoenix was not physically confined at the time of her death, therefore, McKay's conviction should be reduced to second degree murder from first degree murder. 

Suicide attempt at Manitoba Youth Centre, raises alarm bells

Suicide attempt raises alarm bells

A suicide attempt at the Manitoba Youth Centre that's left a 15-year-old girl in critical condition is raising alarm bells about mental health services for kids in custody.

"We're not the place for these kids," said the source, who said staff at the MYC are "really, really shaken up" after the girl's attempted suicide.

The source said the girls at the jail come to staff as "used and abused," and treated as if they're disposable. Boys aren't immune either. "I just think (jail is) really damaging a lot of these kids further," said the source.

"Most of these kids should not be in a jail... it's just the wrong place."

MYC staff knew the girl was grappling with depression and had previously tried to kill herself. Those same staff are the ones forced to scramble to deal with many of the centre's population who suffer from mental health issues. The source said girls at the MYC -- who usually number from about 40 to 45 -- especially need attention in a hospital setting, not a locked institution. The last suicide death at the facility was in December 1975.

Manitoba Justice has launched a review into the circumstances surrounding the girl's suicide attempt. An official confirmed she was by herself in her own room in one of the jail's 15-room cottages when the incident occurred.

After a staff member found the girl at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, she was rushed to hospital and the facility went into lockdown for hours.

The girl had attempted suicide four to six times before she reportedly harmed herself Tuesday, a source told the Free Press.

The girl had been assessed as a medium risk for suicide and wasn't allowed to have sheets in her room for fear she'd harm herself, said another source. She used an article of clothing to hang herself.

The source said the suicide attempt points to larger issues about the need for more intensive counselling for kids who present a risk.

The source said nurses at the facility are stretched too thin by the many high-needs teens, adding there has to be a dedicated mental health facility to properly treat them.

"They're just overwhelmed... they're all stretched to the limit," said the source. "We're not the place for these kids."

The facility should look at having rooms with better visibility, said the source, so staff can supervise youths more effectively.

The source also recommended a higher number of observation rooms -- specialized rooms where staff monitor youth on surveillance.

There are only four observation rooms right now.

No Manitoba Justice officials would speak to the Free Press Thursday about mental health programs for youths in custody.

Corey La Berge, a Legal Aid Manitoba lawyer who represents young offenders, said MYC staff are excellent and pointed out youth at the centre receive treatment from nurses and psychologists. However, he said, the "criminal legal system" is a "dumping ground" for people who've fallen through the cracks of the mental health system.

He said he dealt with a teenage female client this week who was at the Manitoba Youth Centre but should have been at a hospital.

Bonnie Kocsis, the province's acting Children's Advocate, said her office isn't involved in looking at the tragedy at this point but provincial officials will be.

"I'm sure that everybody out there is going to be asking questions," she said.

The girl was in the care of a Child and Family Services agency and had a troubled family history that included the death of her sister last year. A source who knows the girl well described her life as an "injustice," which included struggles with addictions and repeated trauma.

A hospital official said Thursday afternoon the girl remained in critical condition.

Individuals with mental disorders should never be placed in prisons, as the negative environments often worsen mental illnesses or create new ones. People with mental disorders need treatment and counseling, not prisons, especially teens. Prison for teens are the like the schools of crime, where less violent offenders learn new crime skills and how to avoid detection from other, more high risk/experienced offenders. Prisons are negative environments which do not facilitate rehabilitation or reform. They are damaging, especially for teens. Only the most dangerous and high risk offenders should be in custody; nobody else.

This girl had attempted suicide before her latest attempt and the staff knew she was struggling with depression. Those should have been warning signs and she should have been moved to the observation room, not kept in her secure room. She also should have been receiving mental health treatment and counseling, as opposed to being locked in a cell. I agree there should be a separate mental health facility to properly treat teens and other prisoners with mental disorders. This girl has also struggled with addictions, the death of her sister and repeated trauma which need to be addressed through counseling and treatment as well.

People with mental illnesses should never be imprisoned as the negative environments and lack of mental health services/resources often worsen their disorders. Mentally ill offenders need more intensive treatment and counseling, not prison. Prisons do not facilitate rehabilitation and they are damaging, especially for the mentally ill.      

This teen had previously attempted suicide before the latest attempt and the MYC staff were aware of her struggle with depression. She should have been moved to the observation room with better visibility or better yet, to the mental health hospital. She should have been receiving mental health treatment and counseling as opposed to being locked in a cell with limited access to those services.  

Man, 48, accused of abusing teenage stepdaughter

Man, 48, accused of abusing teenaged stepdaughter

Winnipeg police have seized videotapes and explicit emails they say show a 48-year-old man sexually abusing his teenaged stepdaughter and secretly recording her on camera.

The accused -- who can't be named to protect the identity of the 16-year-old girl -- was recently arrested on charges of voyeurism, making child pornography and sexual assault. None of the allegations have been proved and he is presumed innocent.

Police began investigating in January after the teen told her mother she woke up in their West End home to find her stepfather molesting her.

The woman also discovered numerous email messages her husband of five years had allegedly been sending to her daughter for the past several months.

She went to court and obtained a restraining order against the man, filing copies of the emails with the courts. She also filed for divorce.

In the emails, the man is accused of offering his stepdaughter cash, electronics and even allowing her to skip school and keep it a secret. But he indicates there will be a price.

"You know that your mom will be mad at you skipping school and you keep asking me to do things for you, I don't ask anything in return but this time I think that you owe me for doing this for you!

"If you agree to my terms I will continue to keep your secrets. My term is this you will agree to do what I ask of you with no questions," he allegedly wrote in an April 2009 email.

In May 2009, the girl received an email stating: "I want that we can spend some quality time together and I would like to see you the way your mom does."

Further emails included invitations for the girl to spend time with him in exchange for money, an iPod and a cellular phone.

"Would you like me to give you $300 tomorrow? All you have to do is one simple thing and I will give you the money in cash. All you have to do is come into the room. Let me know you got this email and say yes," reads an August 2009 email.

Police arrested the man in March 2010 and initially charged him with sexual assault and sexual interference. He was released on a promise to appear in court with conditions not to have any contact with the girl or his estranged wife.

The investigation remained open and took another turn when police recently discovered a series of videotapes which contain nude images of the girl. She apparently had no idea they had been taken. Police say the recordings were made between September 2007 and December 2009, beginning when the girl was just 13. There are no allegations they had been sold or distributed.

Police rearrested the man earlier this week on the additional charges of child pornography and voyeurism. He has been detained in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. The investigation is ongoing.

These are pretty serious charges but I do not feel that this man should be held in custody, causing further overcrowding in the remand facility, which has adverse effects on all inmates. Only the most dangerous individuals who pose a high risk to the public safety should be detained, but the majority, should be granted bail. I do not believe this man poses a great danger to society or the public, and therefore, should not be held in custody. He should have been released on bail in the community with strict conditions.