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OUR VIEW: Surrey residents have right to know about rapist in their midst

Victim’s relative shouldn’t be the one to reveal Marpole Rapist is on day parole – it should be police
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(Photo: City of Surrey)

Well, here we go again. Again.

By press time Wednesday, authorities had not yet issued a bulletin to warn the public about dangerous offender Gary Jagur Singh – a.k.a. the Marpole Rapist – whom a close relative of one of his 11 victims told us was to be released on day parole into Surrey on Jan. 9, and staying at a halfway house.

For those who maintain this guy deserves another chance to re-integrate, we can list many reasons why people like Singh have permanently worn out their welcome in any civilized society.

Ironically, these very reasons are contained in a report by the Parole Board of Canada, which denied him full parole but granted day parole.

SEE MORE: ‘Marpole Rapist’ to get day parole in Surrey, victim’s relative warns

On June 10, 1994 Singh was designated a dangerous offender – of which, according to the latest stats (2018), there are 63 such inmate designations in Canada – and was sentenced to an indeterminate prison sentence.

It’s not as though Singh has timed out, as his sentence has no expiry date.

Experts, the board noted, advise that Singh’s sexual deviancy “can never be cured.”

The parole board also noted there is a “significant” number of victim impact statements and these “describe ongoing fear and mental health struggles as a result of your crimes, persisting for decades with little confidence that they will ever go away.

“Victims describe being unable to be home alone, fear being out in their communities that you or someone else will hurt them and as the sentencing judge describes, a general inability to live life in a carefree way ever again.”

Not exactly a potential recipient for the key to the city. And yet, here we are. Canada, the land of second chances (or third, in this case, as Singh had already been yanked back in from day parole in 2008, on a breach).

Meantime, decent citizens are put at risk.

It’s troubling that, leading up to press time, we were not able to secure confirmation from the Surrey RCMP or the Correctional Service of Canada that Singh will be released into Surrey, when, and where.

At what point does public safety outweigh these offenders’ rights to a second – or third – chance?

– Now-Leader



edit@surreynowleader.com

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