Parliamentary Committee Notes: Victim Participation in Parole Hearing for Offender Paul Bernardo
The Government is committed to ensuring that victims' voices are heard and considered in the parole process.
Victims have the right to attend Parole Board hearings, read victim statements outlining the effect the crime has had on them or any safety concerns they may have, and to request that special conditions be placed on an offender’s conditional release should it be granted.
Victim statements, regardless of the format in which they are presented to the Parole Board, are fully considered by Parole Board members in their decision-making, along with all other available information in the offender’s case file. Public safety is the primary consideration in all PBC decisions.
Hybrid parole hearings facilitate greater participation by victims in PBC hearings. Over the past five years, there has been a 28% increase in victim participation in PBC hearings through the use of videoconferencing.