Latimer’s actions set off national debate
Wilkie farmer said he killed young daughter to end suffering
Robert Latimer has been a polarizing figure — not only in Saskatchewan, but Canada and beyond.
The Wilkie-area farmer attracted national and international attention after killing his disabled daughter in what he maintained was an act of mercy. Others called it murder.
On Oct. 24, 1993, Latimer put Tracy, who had severe cerebral palsy, into his truck cab and piped exhaust inside. The 12-year-old died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Charged with first-degree murder in November 1993, Latimer was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury a year later.
Latimer insisted: “There are wrong things and there are right things and I did the right thing (in ending her life).”
In January 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld Latimer’s life sentence for second-degree murder, with no chance of parole for 10 years.
In response, former Saskatchewan premier Allan Blakeney took a petition bearing more than 60,000 names to the solicitor general’s office in Ottawa on behalf of Canadians seeking clemency for Latimer. Additionally, 168 Canadians requested the solicitor general let them share Latimer’s prison time so he could go home early. That didn’t happen.
His supporters insisted his motivation was to spare Tracy further suffering and argued for the law to change to enable judges to impose a lighter sentence in extraordinary circumstances.
Groups advocating for the rights of the disabled argued that legal leniency in Latimer’s case could set a dangerous precedent and put disabled people at risk.
Latimer was released on full parole, with some conditions, in 2010. Five years later, he was permitted to travel freely outside Canada.
In future debates on euthanasia, it’s inevitable Latimer’s name will figure prominently.
As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix are telling the stories of 150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150@postmedia.com.