Teen Killer Paul Bernardo Denied Parole After Admitting That He Felt Entitled
He claims he has faced the longest ever solitary confinement in Canadian history.
On Tuesday, convicted teen killer Paul Bernardo was denied parole for the second time after he claimed he committed his crimes out of entitlement.
In the hearing, Bernardo revealed that "all my abuse, violence is out of entitlement," according to Catherine McDonald from Global News.
"My infliction up to abuse up .. was never for sadistic pleasure and there is no evidence of this. I felt entitled and lacked empathy," he continued.
During the hearing, Bernardo also claimed that he has dealt with the longest ever solitary confinement in Canadian history. Through this, he also said he has been dealing with stress and anxiety for decades.
Despite his argument for parole, in which he claimed he is an empathetic person, Bernardo was denied parole due to the fact that he still cannot prove that he won't be a risk to the community.
Bernardo was convicted in 1995
Bernardo has been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and other offences. Later named the "Scarborough Rapist," Bernardo was convicted in 1995.
The charges were laid after he and his then-wife, Karla Homolka, kidnapped and killed teens Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s.
According to CBC, Bernardo also admitted to raping 14 other women and was also convicted of manslaughter following the death of Homolka's younger sister, Tammy.
Bernardo was also denied parole in 2018 after he revealed to the courts that he cried "all the time" over the crimes he committed.
Families of the victims spoke out
During the hearing, family members of French and Mahaffy spoke out, according to CBC.
Donna French, Kristen's mother, said that "for those who say that time heals, they don't know the excruciating pain that comes from such a horrific loss."
"Time doesn't heal the pain. The pain is a life sentence."
Leslie's mother, Debbie Mahaffy, also spoke out on Tuesday, revealing "thirty years have passed since Leslie was taken from us, but the memories of that horrendous time are just as vivid today as they were then. There is no escape for us from this horror."
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511 or find them online here. You can also contact the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Assault at 1-866-887-0015 or online here. For a list of resources by province, go here.