Paul Bernardo arrives at the provincial courthouse in the back of a police van in Toronto in a November 3, 1995 file photo. The Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is "absolutely no talk" of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to a minimum security prison from his current medium security facility. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
OTTAWA – The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is “absolutely no talk” of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.
Anne Kelly testified at a parliamentary committee today about the decision to move Bernardo from maximum-security prison in late May.
The move set off a politician firestorm, with federal Conservatives demanding that the Liberal government ensure his return to maximum security.
The federal government maintained that the decision to transfer him was made by the independent prison authority and politicians could not interfere.
Bernardo is serving an indeterminate life-sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.
A review of the decision released in July found officials followed proper policies, and said Bernardo had long met the criteria to be reclassified as a medium-security prisoner but was only moved after he proved he could integrate with other inmates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2023.
