No parole for Marpole rapist, but short family visits OK’d
A dangerous sexual offender who was dubbed the Marpole rapist has been denied parole but allowed short visits with his family.
The Parole Board of Canada found that Gary Jagur Singh, 62, convicted of sexually assaulting 11 Vancouver women, poses an undue risk to re-offend. The board denied him both day and full parole.
But the board also said that he did not pose a risk to re-offend if he is allowed temporary unescorted absences with relatives under special conditions.
The board said the temporary visits would let him build his supports and strengthen his ability to manage his risk.
“You have a strong support structure in place and the (unescorted temporary absences) plan is gradual and structured with specific reporting mechanisms built in.”
The special conditions for the visits include that Singh is not to drink, buy or possess alcohol, is to immediately report all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with women and not be in the company of sex workers.
“You sexually offended against many women; reporting relationships with women is needed to ensure their protection and to manage your risk,” says the board’s report.
“Imposing restrictions on your access to sex trade workers is needed given how your offending cycle began and considering the vulnerability of these women.”
Singh is also banned from driving and is to have no direct or indirect contact with his victims or their families.
“The victims remain deeply affected by your actions; they have a right to be free from unwanted contact with you,” says the report.
The victims, who opposed any kind of release for Singh, requested that he be banned from going to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The board restricted his authorized temporary absences to the Lower Mainland.
The board’s decision was made Dec. 20, with the written decision provided on Tuesday. Singh was convicted of the offences in 1994, designated a dangerous offender and ordered jailed indefinitely.
The majority of the crimes involved women in Vancouver’s Marpole neighbourhood and occurred between January of 1988 and August of 1991. Some of his victims he forcefully grabbed off the street, while others were attacked when he entered ground-floor apartments through windows or sliding patio doors. He denied the offences at trial but DNA evidence linked him to the crime scenes.
In November 2006, Singh was granted day parole, but it was revoked after police observed him with a woman they believed to be a prostitute.
Singh was classified as a minimum-security offender in May 2016 and in 2017 was authorized to participate in escorted temporary absences with his family, both at private homes and at a care facility.