A push for change on Parliament Hill in Ottawa has been welcomed by the family of Langford teenager Kimberly Proctor, who was murdered 16 years ago.
Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP Jeff Kibble’s private member’s bill, which aims to keep the most serious offenders off the street for longer, was passed by the House of Commons at second reading March 25.
Bill C-235, the Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act, would amend the Criminal Code to allow judges, with input from juries, to extend parole ineligibility for some offences. The bill would see someone convicted of abduction, sexual assault and murder of the same victim in the same incident receive a life sentence without eligibility for parole for 25 to 40 years.
Championing the bill, Kibble has repeatedly said the change will ease the burden on victims’ families and loved ones, showing them compassion and offering them a sense of justice.
“It is about sparing loved ones from the parole hearing process that forces them to relive the worst moments of their lives over and over again,” he said in a news release.
Kimberly Proctor’s aunt Jo-Anne Landolt agrees.
Her niece was 18 when she was sexually assaulted, murdered and brutalized by two teenage boys in 2010.
Their eligibility for parole was set at 10 years. In recent months, the family has attended several parole hearings – most recently in December – all of which were unsuccessful.
“It’s a constant emotional roller-coaster,” said Landolt. “It’s physically draining going to these hearings, writing and submitting statements.
“For myself, it can often take months before I actually finally submit a statement … I go through it, reread it, change things, add things – it just drags on.”
However, the time and effort are non-negotiable for Landolt and other families of murder victims.
“We don’t have to attend them, but we’re the only people who are going to give a voice for our victim, for our true victim, which in our case is Kimmy,” she said.
“I think it’s very, very important for a parole board to see us and to hear our words when we speak and read our statements.”
While the bill will have no retroactive impact on their lives, Landolt hopes it will help others live “somewhat of a normal life” free from bureaucracy.
She says preparing for parole hearings distracts from grieving and remembering the person who was killed.
“Obviously, every day we think of Kimmy, nothing will ever take that away – but all the other stuff we could live without,” she said.
Landolt hopes the bill will help the general public and the government understand that the experience of a victim’s family doesn’t end once a killer is put behind bars.
“That’s not the end of it for us,” she said. “We go through a string of different events that can last decades.”
Bill C-235 has now been referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for further study. Landolt acknowledges the bill has to jump many hurdles before it can receive royal assent, but says she and her family are willing to help Kibble get it across the line.
“We would like to be involved as much as Jeff would like us to be involved with it,” she said. “Hopefully it becomes a reality – but we’re one step closer now, so that’s great.”
READ MORE: Pain turns into anger: Family still mourns 16 years after Langford teen’s murder.
Langford MP seeks to extend parole ineligibility for most serious offenders.