Karla Homolka to be released July 5th

Forums:
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Homolka's father says he's not yet ready to rebuild relationship with Karla
at 19:23 on June 1, 2005, EST.
CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. (CP) - None of Karla Homolka's family members will be waiting to greet her when she emerges from a Quebec prison, her father said Wednesday as residents braced for the release of Canada's most notorious female inmate.

Karel Homolka, whose eldest daughter will emerge from a federal facility 15 years after participating in the drug-rape death of her little sister, Tammy, said he's not yet ready to rebuild his relationship with the former bride of schoolgirl killer Paul Bernardo.

"Someday, I guess," the senior Homolka said from the doorway of his home in St. Catharines, Ont., when asked whether he expected to have a relationship with Karla after she's freed from the federal institution in Joliette, Que.

On July 5, Karla Homolka officially completes her 12-year prison sentence for her role in the deaths of southern Ontario schoolgirls Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French.

When asked whether he'd be there to greet her, Homolka said, "Not me, anyway."

Would any other family members be there? "No," he replied.

Karla Homolka was never actually criminally charged in the drugging sex assault death of her own sister. The facts of the 15-year-old's death were merely read into the record at Homolka's formal plea and added only two years to her sentence.

Nor was she ever charged in two separate attacks upon a young girl whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

Elsewhere in St. Catharines, emotions were running high as residents speculated on the outcome of Thursday's court hearing in Quebec, where Crown lawyers will seek restrictions to keep Homolka from returning to her hometown to visit her family without warning.

Residents say they are still haunted by the memory of her gruesome crimes.

"I don't want to see her," said Cory Godard, 18, who admitted he'd be tempted to harm Homolka if he ran into her in St. Catharines. "She is going to get hurt by someone if she comes back."

French used to babysit Godard, who remembered the brunette teen as a friendly, likeable person who was always willing to play a game of Monopoly or watch TV.

"We're not too fond of (Homolka)," Godard said.

Although many St. Catharines residents said they felt Homolka had a right to visit her parents, they suggested that those meetings ought to take place somewhere else so that Homolka never has reason to return to the scene of her crimes.

Karel Homolka and his wife Dorothy still live in the same bungalow where Tammy, their youngest daughter, was drugged unconscious by Karla on Christmas Eve 1990 to facilitate Bernardo's sexual assault. She later died after choking on her own vomit.

Lori Gordon, 41, said it's hard not to come across someone in the lakeside community that hasn't been affected in some way by Homolka's sickening crimes.

"It affected so many lives," Gordon said.

"A lot of people think in a way that she was worse than (Bernardo) because of what she took part in with her sister. And then she didn't seem to have a conscience about it afterwards - she kept on doing other things to other girls."

Just a few doors down from the Homolka home, neighbour Linda Moore said the whole neighbourhood has been tainted by the horrifying sex crimes.

Moore has been trying since April to sell her split-level home, but few house-hunters seem interested in visiting under the scrutiny of intensifying media attention on Homolka's crimes and possible future plans.

"As soon as the papers hit that (Homolka) was being released and thinking of coming here, all the appointments that week were cancelled," said Moore, whose niece was Tammy's best friend and skating buddy.

It's believed Homolka may choose to settle in Montreal after learning to speak French while in prison and earning a psychology degree by long-distance education from Queen's University.

Karel Homolka said he had no idea what his daughter hoped to do when she regains her freedom.

He said he did not know if she still hoped to have a husband and children, nor what her employment prospects might be.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 19,105 • Replies: 171

No top replies

Officials get ready for Homolka's big day
Joliette courthouse beefs up security before infamous prisoner's public debutBy INGRID PERITZ
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 Page A3

MONTREAL -- A metal detector is being installed. Extra courthouse constables are being called in to keep order. In two days, Canada's most infamous female prisoner shows her very famous face in public for the first time in a dozen years.

And Quebec officials are girding for the fallout.

The day after tomorrow, Karla Homolka is scheduled to take her seat in a wood-panelled prisoner's box in Room 1.05 at the provincial courthouse in Joliette, Que.

This will be her first appearance in public since she was sent to jail for the monstrous killings of two Ontario schoolgirls in 1993.

Her re-emergence is already raising passions across Canada. And it's causing a security headache in Joliette, a pleasant city of 17,800 in Quebec farm country, 60 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

The only hotel in town is almost fully booked, and judicial officials are fielding calls from media from across Canada and even the United States.

Preparing for the anticipated crush, officials have opened a second courtroom that will carry Ms. Homolka's hearing on a large-screen television.

"Security will be increased, given the scope this is taking," said Pierre-Bernard Raymond, acting director of services for the Joliette courthouse.

"We're take all the measures necessary to ensure security. We get the impression this is going to be big."

As for the metal detector, it raises the question of whom it's protecting.

Officials wouldn't go into details, but Ms. Homolka has been the subject of death betting pools on the Internet.

The court appearance unofficially launches the countdown to her release from Joliette's prison for women in five weeks time.

Specifically, the court will hear a controversial application by Ontario to impose restrictions on her life after she's finished her sentence.

The Ontario Attorney-General is invoking Section 810 of the Criminal Code, which allows the courts to impose restrictions, such as curfews or limits on associations with other people, if there are reasonable grounds to fear a released inmate may commit a crime.

Two veteran Ontario prosecutors, James Ramsay and Howard Leibovich, will be joined by Quebec prosecutor Claude Lachapelle in presenting Ontario's case.

The person weighing their arguments, and deciding what form Ms. Homolka's post-prison life may take, is Quebec Court Judge Jean Beaulieu.

It is not known whether Ms. Homolka will fight Ontario's application. Reached at her office yesterday, Ms. Homolka's lawyer, Sylvie Bordelais, would not disclose her plans.

"I know what I'm going to do but I won't talk about it," she said.

The Attorney-General's measure is being greeted with some skepticism in legal circles, because of the perception it's an attempt to rewrite Ms. Homolka's infamous 1993 plea bargain struck with prosecutors, in exchange for testimony against her husband.

"We don't give the mark of Cain on someone in Canada," said Ron Sklar, a professor of criminal and Charter law at McGill University in Montreal.

He said prosecutors will have to provide specific allegations that Ms. Homolka presents a threat to society.

"We all have to realize that she has certain rights, otherwise we're punishing her for the crime she committed in the past," Prof. Sklar said.

"She's already paid her debt to society. We can't continue to punish her. That would conflict with giving her a second chance, which is one of our principles of fairness."

That being said, he underscored all Canadians' apprehensiveness about her imminent release.

Prof. Sklar lives in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the middle-class Montreal neighbourhood where Ms. Homolka is said to be considering settling.

"If I had teenage girls still living at home," said the father of two daughters in their 30s, "and she lived on the same

SOURCE

0 Replies

Hey, Reyn.... I didn't recognize you. Did you grow a mustouche?
...............................................................................................

This whole Karla / Paul thing happened in my neck of the woods and it is probably the most horrific thing that has happened around here. Why they made a deal with her is beyond me. She will probably have to leave the country when she gets out.. already there is talk of vigilante action. I do not advocate such things, but it is inevitable.

0 Replies

Intrepid wrote:

Specifically, the court will hear a controversial application by Ontario to impose restrictions on her life after she's finished her sentence.

I find this whole matter of placing restrictions on somebody who has done their jail time very interesting. Has this happened before? Is it legal?

Intrepid wrote:

Did you grow a mustouche?

Yes! Did you shave yours off? Laughing

0 Replies

Reyn wrote:

Intrepid wrote:
Specifically, the court will hear a controversial application by Ontario to impose restrictions on her life after she's finished her sentence.

I find this whole matter of placing restrictions on somebody who has done their jail time very interesting. Has this happened before? Is it legal?

Intrepid wrote:
Did you grow a mustouche?

Yes! Did you shave yours off?

That is why they are in court today. It has happened in the past, but not very often. They cannot add anything to the sentence, but they are fighting to put specific restrictions on her once she is out. Part of the problem here is that they made a dumb deal when they really didn't have to. The result is that a serial killer gets out of jail after only 12 years.

They feel that she is still a threat to society and they want to deal with that.

0 Replies

Intrepid wrote:

...Part of the problem here is that they made a dumb deal when they really didn't have to. The result is that a serial killer gets out of jail after only 12 years.

They feel that she is still a threat to society and they want to deal with that.

I agree that they did indeed make a dumb deal in their desperation to put Bernardo away.

The situation is somewhat the same as a pedophile who has done their time and is being released, etc. They do keep an eye on them.

0 Replies

Homolka sobs during release conditions hearing
CTV.ca News Staff

A shackled Karla Homolka began to sob this morning as the drugging, rape and death of her sister Tammy were recounted to a court in Joliette, Que.

As a constable with the Niagara Regional Police described Homolka's role in Tammy's death, Homolka, who until then had appeared subdued, sobbed quietly, blowing her nose and rubbing her eyes, her long blond hair falling over her face.

Today's hearing is being held to decide whether the 35-year-old convicted killer should face restrictions upon her release from prison next month.

A team of lawyers from the Ontario government is presenting four volumes of evidence calling for limits on her movements. They are asking for a peace bond under Section 810 of the Criminal Code, to ensure authorities can keep tabs on Homolka when she is released from prison.

Under Sec. 810, a judge can restrict a violent offender's movements and associations and even impose curfews, if there are grounds to believe the person is a threat to the public.

As the hearing began, Homolka's lawyer asked for delay to prepare a motion for a stay of proceedings, saying the 810 procedure was abusive, and Ontario was essentially trying to back out of the plea bargain it struck with Homolka in 1993.

The judge rejected the request and the hearing proceeded.

CTV News has learned that the restrictions that Ontario lawyers will seek include:

that she not associate with anyone with a criminal record
that she report to police twice a month
that she give police four days notice before travelling to Ontario, including a complete itinerary
that she not use any drugs or alcohol
that she stay away from parks, playgrounds and community centres
To press their case, it is likely that lawyers will cite a National Parole Board decision made last fall that said it was convinced Homolka "will commit an offence causing the death or serious injury of a person" if released on parole.

Stephen Williams, who has written two books on the Homolka-Bernardo crimes, says the application seems to him to be a desperate attempt by Crown prosecutors to make up for the poor deal they made with Homolka.
The rest of the store is here

0 Replies

Thanks 'trep' for that. We will have to follow-up and see how it pans out....

0 Replies

What happened to the **** that did the deeds?

0 Replies

She is, to my eye, the ****.

As much as he was a sexual predator and rapist before he met her, I believe she is the truly evil one.

The husband of a friend of mine is in the media. He had access to some stuff that was never allowed to be publicized - earlyish intranet days - she was pure evil - given what they're saying about Karla's assessments, she is as dangerous now as she was then.

Women with long straight blonde hair still creep me out as a result of seeing Karla in the media, and seeing print-outs that L's husband brought home during the trials.

0 Replies

Bernardo's serving a life sentence for first degree murder at maximum security Kingston Penitentiary. I haven't heard much about him for a few years, but the last I did hear, he was serving his time in admin. segregation, for his own safety, I guess.

A conviction for first degree murder, in Canada, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. They were convicted in '93, I think, so he'll be eligible for parole in another 13 years. I'm sure we'll hear a great hue and cry as that date approaches.

0 Replies

I agree with you, ehBeth. They "made a deal with the Devil", didn't they?

0 Replies

mckenzie wrote:

Bernardo's serving a life sentence for first degree murder at maximum security Kingston Penitentiary. I haven't heard much about him for a few years, but the last I did hear, he was serving his time in admin. segregation, for his own safety, I guess.

A conviction for first degree murder, in Canada, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. They were convicted in '93, I think, so he'll be eligible for parole in another 13 years. I'm sure we'll hear a great hue and cry as that date approaches.

If the court really wanted to be certain that Bernardo would be jailed for life under due process of law, they should have tried him on all the Scarborough rapes (with no plea bargains). For each conviction the judge could have sentenced him to maximum consecutive sentences with no parole until half of each sentence was served. If this didn't add up to more than 100 years of consecutive sentencing without parole, then the court could have added similar sentencing on each of the other crimes that Bernardo had already been convicted of, relative and in addition to the murders of Leslie MaHaffy and Kristen French, which he hadn't been sentenced for then. This cumulative sentencing would have ensured that he would have been put away for the rest of his natural life. The way they did it did not.

0 Replies

Intrepid wrote:

...This cumulative sentencing would have ensured that he would have been put away for the rest of his natural life. The way they did it did not.

Yeah, it looks like they screwed it up in their haste to get any conviction.

mckenzie wrote:

...A conviction for first degree murder, in Canada, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. They were convicted in '93, I think, so he'll be eligible for parole in another 13 years. I'm sure we'll hear a great hue and cry as that date approaches.

He may be elligible for parole, but let's hope common sense will prevail and he'll never get it.

Look for example at B.C.'s Picton murder case. The latest I've heard was that the convictions were up to 27 now, and that's only the ones where sufficient DNA was found on his farm. Hopefully, life will indeed mean LIFE!

0 Replies

Looks like you are having a little quoting problem there Reyn :-)
Putting some of my words into somebody else's mouth. ;-)

0 Replies

Yeah, I had to do a bit of quick editting to prevent further embarrassment.... Embarrassed

0 Replies

Well now, ain't Kingston lucky. Kinda gives me a creepy feeling as i recall sitting across from the penitentiary and watching the guards on strike grilling their burgers and hot dogs and laughing and chatting with one another.

0 Replies

I'd rather be in Kingston than in Joliette. (or is it Joliet?)

0 Replies

At least you were on the outside :-)

0 Replies

Technically, Miss Girl, it's Statesville, which is located in Joliet, Illinois (i love being obtuse).

Yeah, Boss, but we had just taken a tour of the prison museum across the road in the old administration building, and were regaled with stories of breakouts, and most improbably, the story of the young man who broke into the Pen at Kingston.

0 Replies

Forums
» Karla Homolka to be released July 5th

Read Discussion
Reply to All

Karla Homolka to be released July 5th

Quick Links

My Account

able2know