Robert Latimer given day parole after murdering his daughter.
By bonbon664
@bonbon664 (3466)
Canada
February 28, 2008 9:58am CST
Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer, who killed his severely disabled daughter Tracy 14 years ago and sparked a national debate about euthanasia, will taste freedom this weekend in Ottawa after seven years in prison.
Latimer, 54, was convicted in 1994 of second-degree murder after he killed 12-year-old Tracy by piping exhaust fumes into his truck while the rest of the family was at church.
The appeal board concluded that Latimer did not pose an undue risk to reoffend and that the earlier decision didn't give fair consideration to that unlikelihood.
Latimer chose Ottawa to do his day parole because he expects a media onslaught after his release from prison and doesn't want to subject his family and neighbours in Wilkie to more attention.
Meanwhile, disabled rights activists say they worry that the public has shown a great deal of sympathy for Latimer, while often overlooking Tracy's murder.
Jim Derksen of the Council for Canadians with Disabilities said he doesn't disagree with Latimer being given parole, but worries that while he is in an Ottawa halfway house, he can lobby members of Parliament for changes to the law, such as eliminating minimum sentences for murder convictions.
"I have to worry about ideas that threaten the lives of people with disabilities," Derksen said.
Michael Bach, executive vice-president of the Canadian Association for Community Living, said "it's really important that we step back to look at the broader issue. ... Tracy Latimer was not safe. She was murdered."
Tracy, the oldest of three children and born with severe cerebral palsy, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in what her father called a mercy killing. He was convicted on Nov. 16, 1994, of second-degree murder.
So, what do you think of this case? Do you think he should have been paroled? I think so, he's not going to reoffend.
4 responses
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
28 Feb 08
Nothing amazes me anymore.
What does it matter if he isn't likely to do it again? Of course he won't, unless faced with a similar circumstance!
What happened to being punished for what you do? Isn't that why he was imprisoned? He should serve his sentence as his just punishment. It doesn't matter whether he'll do it again or not. He did it the first time and got his punishment meted out. So serve it - period.
1 person likes this
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
28 Feb 08
I think lots of people get parole. He has served jail time already, and unlike some "hardened criminals" who will do it over, and over, I think in this case he's unlikely to be a threat to society.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
28 Feb 08
Yes, he has served jail time already, but not the entire sentence he was given as punishment.
Key word here is PUNISHMENT.
Its not always a matter of deterrence or whether someone is likely to repeat an offense.
He murdered the child. He should serve out his sentence.
1 person likes this
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
28 Feb 08
I think this case is different. I really believe that he did this for the love of his child, he thought he was doing the right thing for her.
1 person likes this
@Grandmaof2 (7578)
• Canada
28 Feb 08
This man loved his daughter as much as I love mine. I refuse to say anything bad about this case because I know this man has actually hurt this poor girl just by picking her up and giving her a small hug. His wife also knew the pain her daughter was in but you'll notice she has never left her husbands side. Of course it's not cool or even OK he did what he did but this is a very rare case and I think we need to walk a mile in his shoes before we pass judgemnt, yet I praise God I have never had to. I am 99.9 percent sure this man will never hurt another child in his life, this is just my opinion. What makes my blood boil is these people that can't be punished for murders committed because "There's a lack of evidenance" This man turned to telling the truth. If he was a bad guy I'm sure this would have done his wife in and would have left him when he first took his daughters life. Just my opinion hon!!!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
5 Mar 08
He killed his own daughter and is going to get out in less than 15 years? Just how disabled was she? If she was a total "vegetable" or close to it with no quality of life, then I could see it but I happen to know a young man with Cerebral Palsy very well and have since he was a baby and while he is disabled and there are things he can't do and days when he has a great deal of pain I would be appalled at the idea of someone murdering him and calling it a "mercy killing." People with many disabilities are still able live full and happy lives.
Annie
@vulgarlittleprincess (919)
• Canada
28 Mar 08
I think he should have been paroled. While i do not agree with what he had done he was just trying to put his daughter out of her mosery. He probably could not deal with seeing his daughter in so much pain and thought that if she wa sin heaven at least she would be resting in peace. I agree that he should have gone to jail because what he had done was in fact murder. It was his idea to end tracy's life and he had total control over the end of her life. He should have known that what he was doing was wrong even if he had the best of intentions for his daughter.





