Canada's Pathetic Justice System > Liberals will attempt to toughen sentences and bail conditions for violent offenders

 

Liberals urged to increase penalties for intimate partner violence, murder

By Alessia Passafiume  The Canadian Press

Posted October 28, 2025 5:42 pm

 Updated October 28, 2025 5:47 pm

 5 min read

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on other parties Tuesday to support a private member’s bill he said would combat intimate partner violence — just as a new report tracks how the problem has grown in recent years.

“There are countless who have lost their lives because Liberal laws have turned their perpetrators loose on our streets,” Poilievre said outside the House of Commons.

“We want to work with any party to get this bill passed to protect people. We encourage every party to join with us. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit — let’s do the right thing now.”

Poilievre’s statement came after Statistics Canada released a report showing reports of intimate partner violence increased 14 per cent between 2018 and 2024.

The report also notes women and girls remain overrepresented in those statistics. The number of women suffering intimate partner violence in 2024 was 3.5 times higher than the number of men.

Poilievre blamed the caseload on what he claimed was the federal Liberals’ lax approach to criminal justice and called for stricter penalties.

Bill C-225, introduced by Conservative MP Frank Caputo, would automatically make the killing of an intimate partner an act of first degree murder, and bar someone arrested for an intimate partner offence from being released by a peace officer if they had been convicted of a similar offence in the previous five years.

Caputo said his bill was developed with input from victims of intimate partner violence who want to see changes to the criminal justice system.

“We believe that the government should be dealing with this right away. And if you don’t want to listen to me, that’s fine. But perhaps they will listen to the voice of Debbie,” Caputo said, introducing Debbie Henderson, whose niece was a victim of intimate partner violence.

Henderson’s niece, Bailey McCourt, was killed in July by her ex-husband. He was charged with murdering her hours after he was released on bail.

2:11Family of Bailey McCourt to continue fighting for more justice system reform

Henderson said she’s tired of seeing similar stories in the news and is demanding change through the passage of Bill C-225.

“There’s no need to wait. The next person could be you, or it could be one of your family members. And we don’t want to see any other family member go through the horror that our family has gone through,” she said, holding back tears.

During question period Tuesday, Caputo pressed the Liberals to answer if they would support the legislation.

Liberal MP Nathalie Provost, who survived the Polytechnique shooting in 1989, has suggested the government will back its own approach instead of the one proposed by the Conservatives.

“What is important is to have a broad and integrated approach and there are already bills that we have tabled and that will allow us to act,” she said during question period.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fraser said Monday that B.C. government lobbying on the McCourt case was reflected in several elements of Canada’s new bail reform legislation, adding that his government planned to table further legislation around intimate-partner violence by the end of the year.

“It will include certain changes around presumptions of first-degree murder,” Fraser told reporters at a joint press conference on the new law alongside B.C. Premier David Eby in Victoria.

“The exact terms of the provision are under development now, and we expect over the weeks to come, before the legislation is tabled, that we will finalize what that specific provision will take.”

But Fraser said he was hesitant to make specific promises about the content of that bill, adding that Ottawa remained in discussion with Eby and B.C.’s attorney general, Niki Sharma.

He wouldn’t directly answer if the forthcoming legislation would criminalize the term “femicide” and make it a first-degree murder offence, a promise Liberals made during the federal election campaign.

4:13Ottawa introduces Bill C-14 to tighten bail and sentencing as B.C. government presses ahead

Eby acknowledged that Bill C-14 did not include everything that the McCourt family or he wanted, but added his government was not done yet advocating for the family.

“We continue to advocate for the reforms the family is asking for, related to a presumption around first-degree murder,” Eby said. “We raised that with the minister today.”

Bill C-14, tabled in Parliament last week, toughens sentences for several crimes and expands the burden of proof for bail from the prosecution to the accused, in a principle known as reverse onus, to cover offences including assault and sexual assault involving choking or strangulation.

James Plover is accused of second-degree murder in McCourt’s killing. Plover had been convicted of choking someone and freed on $500 bail just hours before the alleged attack on his estranged wife.

The new legislation would also remove the possibility of house arrest sentences for “serious sexual offences,” including against children.

The Statistics Canada report found nearly half of intimate partner violence victims were living with the person accused of the crime at the time of the incident.

The agency reports that most victims of intimate partner violence in 2024 were physically assaulted (72 per cent), while 9 per cent were victims of sexual offences and 7 per cent were victims of criminal harassment.

Statistics Canada says the rate of family violence against seniors has increased by 49 per cent between 2018 and last year, with 7,622 senior victims of police-reported family violence reported in 2024.

A full 36 per cent of seniors who experienced family violence last year were victimized by one of their children, the agency reports.

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Conservatives plan to end leniency for non-citizen criminals in Canadian courts

 

Conservatives to end leniency for non-citizen criminals

Non-citizens convicted of serious crimes should be deported,

not given leniency by virtue of their immigration status.

Michelle Rempel Garner

Aug 13, 2025

Should judges be allowed to use a non-citizen's immigration status to issue a more lenient sentence to a convicted offender for their crime?

While many Canadians would rightly say no,  2013 Supreme Court ruling (R. v. Pham) suggested otherwise, and legislation is urgently needed to address this problem. 

Here’s why.

The Pham ruling effectively allowed judges to, in certain circumstances, consider the impact of triggering a removal process under Canada’s Immigration Refugee and Protection Act (“IRPA”) provisions when issuing a sentence. Those provisions include deportation without appeal rights for non-citizens convicted in Canada of an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum imprisonment term of at least 10 years, or for crimes in which a term exceeding six months has been imposed.

Lately, as public support for immigration has waned amid the Liberal government's rapid increases to the number of immigrants entering Canada that outpaced housing, healthcare, and job market capacities, several high-profile cases of judges applying leniency in sentencing due to potential impact on immigration status have emerged.

For example, a permanent resident received a conditional sentence after being convicted of trying to purchase sexual services from a 15-year-old, as a stronger penalty would have hindered him and his wife from obtaining Canadian citizenship. Another non-citizen in Canada on a visitor's permit was convicted of twice groping an 18-year-old woman's genitals under her skirt as she stood at the bar to buy a drink and received a discharge to avoid a permanent criminal record and allow a deportation appeal. There are many other examples that illustrate the trend of immigration status being considered in sentencing, with criminal lawyers now routinely arguing for lighter sentences so their non-citizen clients can evade deportation or denial of citizenship under IRPA's current provisions.

While it’s tempting to blame judges for this state of affairs, the fault squarely lies with the federal Liberal government, who, in spite of the increased evidence of leniency in sentencing due to consideration of immigration status in recent years, have declined to provide more clarity to judges through legislation. 

This is why once the House of Commons resumes in the fall, Conservatives will introduce legislation to amend the Criminal Code to rectify this issue. Our bill will add a section after Section 718.202 of the Criminal Code which will expressly outline that any potential impact of a sentence on the immigration status of a convicted non-citizen offender, or that of their family members, should not be taken into consideration by a judge when issuing a sentence.

The rationale for this change is straightforward. Anyone seeking residence or citizenship in Canada has responsibilities as well as rights. The citizenship guide clearly states that citizens must obey Canada's laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others, and IRPA outlines the potential consequences for non-citizens who fail to do so. Without legislative clarity on considering immigration status in sentencing, judges can apply aspects of the Pham ruling to undermine that principle for non-citizens, effectively end-running the deportation consequences already enacted by Parliament through IRPA. 

In effect, the Criminal Code amendment that Conservatives plan to propose this fall will prevent judges from using aspects of the Pham ruling to prioritize the process of entering and staying in Canada over the responsibility to respect Canadian law required of those seeking to do so. It will also help quell anger from Canadians who have read about high-profile rulings where the perception has arisen that non-citizens are receiving leniency for a crime committed on Canadian soil simply by virtue of their non-citizen status.

The vast majority of people in Canada who have immigrated here or are on temporary visas  abide by the law. Removal from Canada for non-citizens after being convicted of a serious crime is a no-brainer to both protect Canadians, the value of Canadian citizenship, and every person who resides in Canada and plays by the rules. 

After a decade of Liberal post-nationalism and excessively high immigration levels, accepting this change would allow the Liberals to demonstrate some respect for Canadian citizenship by affirming that, at minimum, the privilege of residing here for non-citizens depends on adherence to the rule of law.

Kansas Teacher Takes Plea Deal and Gets Pathetic Sentence for Sexually Abusing Students

What Mom has to say about that

After a plea of not guilty at a previous arraignment several months ago, former Prairie View High School teacher and coach Keaton M. Krell has decided to change his plea for a lesser sentence and a hope for leniency.

Krell, who was facing 20 counts of felony unlawful sexual relations of a teacher with a student 16 years of age or older, chose to amend his plea Monday, pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated battery, a severity level 7 person felony with a minimum sentence of 11 months and a maximum of 34 months per count. The charges also carry a fine of up to $100,000 per count.

By choosing to plead guilty and enter into the plea agreement, Krell is agreeing to forego his right to a trial. He could still be subjected to the maximum sentencing, pending the district judge’s decision at his sentencing hearing currently scheduled for 3:30 p.m. April 10 in Mound City.

According to court documents, the charges Krell is pleading to are not a registerable offense. So, he will not be required to register as a sex offender in Kansas. He will have to complete a sex offender evaluation and follow recommendations as well as a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Additionally, Krell will be allowed to move out of state if he so desires once the sentencing conditions are met. He has been banned from having further contact with the victims in the case.

According to court documents, the sentence for each count could be allowed to run concurrently with one another, and the Linn County District Court case 16CR92 naming the original charges (felony unlawful sexual relations) will be dismissed with prejudice upon successful sentencing of the current case.

Krell was arrested May 19, 2016, after working for Prairie View USD 362 for five years as an English teacher. He was also the girls basketball coach.

The violations listed in the original 20 counts of felony unlawful sexual relations of a teacher with a student 16 years of age or older date back to 2014.

Krell was put on paid administrative leave shortly after his arrest before later being terminated. He is no longer a Prairie View USD 362 employee.

The Sentence:

Keaton Krell was sentenced to 2 consecutive 13 month terms yesterday and was taken into custody immediately after sentencing. 26 months in prison might just help him have plenty of time to think about his crimes and his victims. May prison give him all it has to offer child predators. I hope and pray that the girls and families now can begin the healing process. May he rot in there. Unfortunately the law did not allow for him to be required to register as a sex offender under the Alford plea deal he made. I pray that parents everywhere will memorize the name and face to be able to protect their children from him upon his release.

Save Prairie View USD 362 Buffalos

5 June 2018  · 

Mom's Response:

I completely agree with Mom here. It is just so pathetic what some DAs will do to avoid going to trial. And then the judge gives him what is virtually a minimum sentence! Why? He has already escaped most of the charges, reduced then to where they are not registerable, and then the judge treats him very leniently. Why? Don't the victims count for anything? Judges are far too perpetrator oriented; they need to consider the victims and the potential victims, and put their justice needs above that of criminals.

Linn Co., Ks

Canadian Police Force, Judges Have a Long Way to Go Responding to Sexual Assaults

Victim says police not doing enough to find convicted rapist who vanished before sentencing

A Survivor's Story

By Jennifer Quesnel, CBC News

After the man convicted of raping her vanished, the victim says police in Saskatoon have done little to find him despite leads suggesting he is still in Canada.

"I'm not waiting for a phone call I'm never going to get," said the woman CBC News is calling Sarah, to protect her identity.

Sarah was raped for hours at the University of Saskatchewan's McEown Park dormitory in the early hours of New Year's Day 2012. She's not sure exactly how many attackers there were but DNA testing detected the presence of semen from two men.

'I just collapsed, and I was underneath the table,

like, shaking and bawling.'

- "Sarah"

Timloh "Butchang" Nkem was arrested, charged and convicted of sexual assault but never showed up for sentencing and hasn't been seen since.

Sarah says police at first treated her case seriously, but for nearly three years now, she has come up against one roadblock after another in her pursuit of justice.

1 suspect acquitted

Sarah had identified one suspect in her rape, an international student. She said the student was the one assailant she could remember

When Justice Richard Danyliuk acquitted the man of sexual assault, saying he believed the man honestly thought Sarah had consented to sex that night, she was heartbroken.

"I just collapsed, and I was underneath the table, like, shaking and bawling," she said.

The Crown prosecutor requested the court hold Nkem in custody following his conviction, but the judge denied the request. (Sketch artist Thomas Webster)

The second suspect, Nigerian-born Nkem, had come to Canada on a student visa in 2006 but was no longer a student at the time of the assault.

In 2013, police had charged Nkem with marijuana possession, depositing fraudulent cheques and using stolen identification to withdraw money and cash cheques. Those charges were eventually stayed.

During the trial, Sarah said Nkem's friends would attend and laugh at her and her family, sometimes smuggling alcohol into the courtroom.

After he was convicted, Crown prosecutor Buffy Rodgers requested the court hold him in custody. Danyliuk denied the request, permitting Nkem to remain on bail until his sentencing.

Why do they do that? If it's obvious he is going to get a custodial sentence, why present him with the temptation to run?

Saskatoon woman 'disgusted' with police response to sexual assault case

Woman says she was raped in university dorm and frequently sees her alleged attacker on campus

Still, on Oct. 31, 2014, Sarah was hopeful as she headed to court for Nkem's sentencing, blasting Queen's We Will Rock You in the car.

But when she and her friends walked into the courtroom, Nkem was not there. Neither were his friends. 

'Investigating my own case'

After waiting more than an hour, Danyliuk issued a Canada-wide warrant for Nkem's arrest. 

A Saskatoon police spokesperson told reporters that officers believed Nkem was likely on his way back to Nigeria.

Crown prosecutor Rodgers notified officials at Interpol he was a wanted man.

Last month, Sarah's mother contacted Nigerian immigration officials, who said they had never heard of the case.

Sarah is convinced Nkem is still in Canada, protected by the cousins who posted bail for him.

Sarah says she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She credits her dog Kota for giving her a sense of security when she experiences night terrors. (CBC)

She says police have told her and her mother to stop calling, and they have failed repeatedly to follow up on tips she has provided, including possible sightings of Nkem in Calgary and Victoria.

"I was basically investigating my own case," she said.

In March, Sarah emailed a sergeant to ask whether there were any updates in locating Nkem. His picture was no longer posted on the Wanted section of the Saskatoon Police website. 

Sarah says the sergeant assured her Nkem would be added back to the site and promised to email the next day with an update.

That email never came.

In May, Sarah and her mother again requested an update on Nkem, and again there was no reply. 

When CBC News called the Saskatoon Police Service last month to inquire about the status of the search for Nkem, a spokesperson said: "We're not just sitting on the information. We've shared information with other [police] services, certainly." 

Police in Calgary told CBC News they have no record of the Saskatoon Police ever notifying them Nkem could be in Calgary. 

Municipal police in Victoria and the Westshore detachment of the RCMP also said no one from the Saskatoon Police has contacted them. 

'We may never find him'

"We may never find him," Sarah said. "How I see justice now is really by the police acknowledging that they humiliated me and kept re-victimizing me. Made me feel like I was a burden." 

Sarah's mother has called and emailed Saskatoon's mayor and its police commission, opposition politicians and even Saskatchewan's justice minister and premier, Brad Wall, with whom she secured a meeting in October 2015. 

"Saskatchewan must do better by rape victims and more to stop rapists before they strike," Wall wrote in a handwritten response to Sarah, thanking her for her courage. "We will be following up with your mom to further explore how this can be done. 

"I am so sorry for what you have gone through in the system."

In 2015, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall wrote a handwritten response to Sarah, thanking her for her courage and promising to follow up. (CBC)

Sarah's mother said she's called and emailed Wall's office several times since that meeting, but has been ignored.

I'm a huge Brad Wall fan, but this looks like a 'fail' to me.

In September 2016, Sarah's mother was given five minutes in front of the Saskatoon Police Commission to present her concerns about the way the case was handled. 

She said she never received an official response. 

"There's been nothing done," said Sarah's mother. "We're just getting deeper into being pitted against the people that my taxpayer dollars pay to protect and serve."

CBC's calls to the chair of the Saskatoon Police Commission were not returned.

Complaint filed

Sarah and her mother have filed a complaint with Saskatchewan's Public Complaints Commission about police handling of the case. 

They want assurances the police have changed the way they question victims of sexual assault.

And they want an apology for what they see as the dismissive, disrespectful way officers dealt with Sarah and her family over the years.

Sarah said Saskatchewan's ombudsman started looking into the case, but then his term ended and the investigation stalled. She says she's run out of places to turn.

"Nothing has worked so far. There's no accountability — and that has to change," she said.

'You will experience so much more pain by going to the police.'

- "Sarah"

The Saskatoon Police Service and its former chief, Clive Weighill, declined CBC's interview requests.

"The service and its investigators have worked with the complainant and her family over several years as part of this investigation and have also spoken publicly, on several occasions, about past concerns," the service said in an emailed statement to CBC News, adding it could not comment further "in the event that the commission decides to launch a review."

Sarah never was able to complete her university degree. She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is in counselling while she works as a flight attendant. She says she's regaining control over her life — but she's worried about all the other women who've been in a situation similar to hers.

"Think of how many people have reported sexual assaults since then," she said. "And how many would have been handled the same way as my case was. It's a lot."

She says she regrets having come forward.

"You will experience so much more pain by going to the police," Sarah said. "And so much more trauma. And so much more hurt and humiliation.

"You won't heal by reporting it."

That has to change! Police have to be much more compassionate and considerate of the victims and their needs. Their first need is for the situation to start getting better when they go to the police, otherwise, they will not come and they are not likely to ever get better. 

Their second need is 'hope' that the situation will continue to get better, that justice will be done, that the rapist will be locked up and unable to attack them (or anyone else) again.

Many police forces don't seem to get the extreme trauma that rape and sexual assault causes a woman or a child. If they did, they would not sit idly by while a convicted rapist escapes justice. Speaking of justice, why did the judge allow the creep out on bail after conviction, especially when he and his friends treated the court with such disrespect?

Saskatchewan needs to do better than this!