Victims’ families push for longer intervals between Paul Bernardo parole hearings

Convicted killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo is set to have a parole hearing next month, marking the fourth time in eight years.

Tim Danson, the lawyer who represents the families of Bernardo’s victims says that’s way too much in a short period of time. 

Danson tells CHCH News that he is now pushing for longer intervals between Bernardo’s parole hearings.

He says the families of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French have to re-open the wound of what happened to their daughters each time. 

These crimes were committed in St. Catharines, where the impact is still felt to this day.

“It’s almost as if the ink hasn’t even dried from the last hearing two years ago,” Danson says.

As the parole hearing for Paul Bernardo approaches on Oct. 20, the families of his victims are still reeling from the last one.

“They have to start working on their victim impact statements again and it really isn’t even two years for them. Two years is when we show up. They’re notified ahead of time,” Danson says.

READ MORE: Paul Bernardo denied parole after victims’ families plead he be kept behind bars

Bernardo was convicted after he and his then-wife Karla Homolka kidnapped, tortured and killed 14-year-old Mahaffy in 1991 and 15-year-old French a year later. 

He was also convicted of manslaughter in the death of Homolka’s 15-year-old sister Tammy, who was drugged and sexually assaulted by the couple in 1990. 

Bernardo has also admitted to sexually assaulting at least 14 other women. 

Now at the age of 62, Bernardo has been behind bars for over 30 years and has attended parole hearings four times in eight years. 

The victim’s families are now calling for a longer interval between hearings. 

“It should not be every two years but it should be every seven years … if for example something significant developed that nobody could contemplate or predict or there’s a breakthrough in medical science, they could bring an application to the parole board to have the hearing sooner. But subject to that extraordinary change in circumstances, it should be every seven years and the family should be spared,” Danson says.

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“I lived across the street from Karla Homolka and her family … I went to school with them. I mean everybody has a connection here somehow,” a local resident says.

“He doesn’t get to see the light like we do. There’s no light in him. There’s no light,” another resident adds.

Bernardo will attend the parole hearing from the medium-security institution La Macaza in Quebec. 

Danson says he and the mothers of Mahaffy and French will be in attendance. 

He says he believes Bernardo has not changed in 30 years. 

“My observation is that for Paul Bernardo, this is just entertainment but it’s agony for the families,” Danson says.

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