Why parole board said no to Paul Bernardo
Among reasons: He’s ‘still obsessed’ by sexual part of a relationship
Serial sex killer Paul Bernardo is “still obsessed with the sexual component of a relationship” and for that reason — and many others — the Parole Board of Canada denied his bid for freedom earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the board released its written reasons for denying the notorious dangerous offender his requests for day and full parole on Oct. 17 during a hearing at Millhaven Institution near Kingston.
On that day, the board took less than an hour to make its decision and gave no reasons for the denial. Now, the nine-page written decision spells out exactly why he was turned down.
Those reasons include his disturbing 2014 relationship with a woman he was communicating with “by letters and phone calls.”
“Your communication with her was highly sexualized and had similarities to your crime cycle,” the decision states.
“Mental health staff were concerned about how quickly you became infatuated with this woman and questioned your motivation.”
“Given the opportunity, you quickly demonstrated that you were still obsessed with the sexual component of a relationship as evidenced by the fact that you reported a serious increase in masturbation. This is of concern to the board, as such increase escalates your risk to reoffend.”
Also of concern to the board was that Bernardo fantasized about having rough sex with the woman and commented on her “adversity to pain.”
That woman, who is not identified by the parole board, eventually ended her communication with Bernardo, which caused him “a great deal of distress,” according to the decision.
The board also mentions Bernardo is in a relationship with a “current close friend.” It is not clear if this is a woman or a man. However, in prison records, Bernardo once described the friend as “a feminist who has all the control in the relationship.”
Just days before his parole hearing, Bernardo wrote to the board to amend his description, saying he would never be in such a one-sided relationship, because that would be “unhealthy.”
The board took that about-turn as proof Bernardo still views relationships “in terms of power and control.”
Bernardo, 54, was convicted of two counts each of first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping and one count of indignity to a dead body for the rapes and murders of Leslie Mahaffy, 14, and Kristen French, 15.
The parole board said it also considers the offences Bernardo has admitted, but to which he was never convicted.
He has had charges stayed in connection to assaults on his former wife and partner in crime, Karla Homolka, as well as a series of rapes in Scarborough.
They include: Manslaughter; assault with a weapon; two counts of forcible confinement; three counts of aggravated sexual assault; two counts of sexual assault; sexual exploitation; nine counts of sexual assault with a weapon; nine counts of buggery; two counts of attempt choking; sexual intercourse with a female under 16; three counts of assault causing bodily harm.
One of the rapes he admitted to had been attributed to another man, who was convicted and incarcerated for it.
Bernardo also confessed to the rape and manslaughter of Homolka’s younger sister, Tammy.
Bernardo has admitted to raping at least 24 girls and women, ranging in age from 14 to 23.
Earlier this year, a charge of possession of a dangerous weapon — a shiv allegedly found in Bernardo’s cell — was withdrawn.
For good measure, the board mentions Bernardo was also involved in smuggling alcohol and tobacco into Canada from the U.S., although that is not reflected in his criminal record.
Bernardo was designated a dangerous offender and is serving an indeterminate sentence, which allows him to apply for parole but makes his chances of ever getting it highly unlikely.
A review of psychiatric and risk assessments done over the 25 years of his incarceration concludes he is a severe sexual sadist and psychopath with narcissistic personality disorder, who is at high risk of reoffending and has a low chance of ever reintegrating
into society.
He has blamed his criminal behaviour on anxiety and low self-esteem as a child. (At the hearing, Bernardo specifically said it all began with a childhood speech impediment.)
He assured the board he has cured himself and is now “a nice and compassionate guy.”
The board notes Bernardo has letters of support from his parents and a close friend, and his plan if granted parole was to live with his friend in Ontario to be near to his parents. In the future, he hoped to move to another province.
The report also reveals that Bernardo has had several escorted temporary absences for medical purposes. That usually means an offender has been taken by guards to a hospital for treatment.
One psychologist cited in the
report said the best Bernardo can hope for is to be moved from a maximum-security facility — where he has been in solitary confinement for 25 years for his own safety — to a medium-security facility where he can be among other offenders.
But a psychiatrist said even a transfer to medium security is too much of a risk for other people’s safety.
So Bernardo will likely remain in max, locked up for 23 hours a day in solitary with one hour out on the range or in the yard — alone.
At least until 2020, when he will be entitled to his next parole hearing.