Semi-liberty: the father of the little girl from Granby will have to wait for the decision

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The death of the seven-year-old girl in Granby in 2019 led to the opening of several investigations as well as the creation of the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection. (Archive photo)

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Six months after his first request, the father of the little girl from Granby appears again before the Parole Board of Canada (CLCC). He hopes to regain semi-release two years after his incarceration. However, the commissioners indicated they needed time before making a decision.

Remember that the seven-year-old child died in April 2019 in tragic circumstances that shook Quebec. Two years ago, the father had pleaded guilty to a charge of false imprisonment a few days before his trial. Since January 2022, he has been serving a four-year penitentiary sentence, which was reduced by six months due to preventive detention.

Today& #x27;Today, the father wishes to obtain semi-release. He plans to stay in a halfway house and get a job.

The girl's grandmother spoke before her son's interrogation began. For her, he hasn't changed. He does not realize the harm he has done to his daughter. For years, he abused her psychologically and physically. […] It's unimaginable all the harm he put her through. She is a martyr. He was a monster to her. We are ashamed of him, she said.

She is also asking the CLCC for a geographic restriction for Estrie and Montérégie . Family members live there. We are afraid of him, afraid of meeting him.

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For his part, his parole officer recalled that the father would regain his freedom on May 7. For her, there is no doubt that it is better that he stays in a halfway house rather than that he gets out completely after two thirds of his sentence.

For nearly 90 minutes, the man, whose name Radio-Canada must withhold due to a publication ban, answered the commissioners' questions about the route he did, on his rehabilitation and on his plans upon his release.

He was questioned a lot about his role in the drama. I have my faults. I wasn't perfect. I did wrong. This is the first time I put restraints [on my daughter]. My responsibility was not to have been there, because I wanted to support my family, he replied.

I failed in my jobof father. […] I didn't know how to ask for help for myself. I didn't realize how overwhelmed I was, that I was sleep deprived, that I wanted to look good, I wasn't there in the right places. I delegated all my parenting responsibilities to someone else who was overwhelmed too. […] I had magical thinking. I should not have. I could tell she wasn't doing well, but I didn't know how to fix things. I didn't have the skills to do it and I didn't know what to do.

A quote from the father of the little girl from Granby

The man reiterated on numerous occasions that he had been involved in a therapeutic process since his incarceration and that he intended to continue his exit. It's beneficial for me. I have a lot to understand about myself. […] I have traumas to resolve. I have stages of grief to overcome. I'm going to need help.

He added that there was still work to be done, especially in terms of “connecting with your emotions”. I have defense methods that still come up, but I work on them and I am open to working on them. I don't bury my head in the sand. This is my asset. This is very hard work. I have been so used to shutting them away.

For him, a stay in a halfway house will be most beneficial. They will be there to help me. It is going to be difficult. I am aware of that, he replied.

He admitted that he still has fears of finding himself in society . The media coverage of my case was quite heavy. I am afraid for my safety. But the police are there. I will ask for help if this happens. The biggest fear is recreating a reliable social network. Starting from scratch too.

Subsequently, his lawyer took the floor. She indicated that her client was not discouraged by the CLCC's first refusal. He continued to work. He does it for himself, to truly progress. Does he have all the answers today? No. He is always in a process of reflection and progress. Everyone who has had a relationship with him, agents, therapists, agree that he is truly committed to his relationships and wants to go further.

The lawyer also believes that society would benefit more from a stay in a halfway house than if he found himself free in five months.

If his request for conditional release is granted, the father will have to respect several conditions, including those of having no contact with the victims and their families, of declaring his intimate or friendly relationships to the CLCC, of ​​not found in the presence of children under 16 years old and to continue his psychological follow-up.

If the commissioners recognize that the father responded to their questions with sincerity and progress has been made, they still took their decision under advisement. They have 15 days to return it.

Last April, the father submitted a first request for parole, almost 15 months after his incarceration. The commissioners refused to grant it to him due to the nature and seriousness of [his] offense, while it is marked by great psychological and instrumental violence, x27;place of a vulnerable person [whom he] should have protected. Then, in May, the man appealed the decision. Again, the CLCC dismissed it last September.

It was during the trial of the mother-in-law, found guilty of unpremeditated murder, that it had been possible to understand the father's involvement in the tragedy. Among other things, he had started restraining the little girl with adhesive tape.

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