At least three Canadian teens were murdered and raped in the early 1990s by Paul Bernardo and his wife Karla Homolka.
The notorious “Ken and Barbie killers,” Karla and Paul, who also kept diaries of their murders, are among the most brutal murderers in Canadian history.
The new series Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes chronicles their murders and court cases.
Karla cooperated with prosecutors to avoid receiving a lengthy prison term.
Homolka was also fortunate that the tapes describing her participation in the rapes and murders were made public after she accepted a plea agreement.
Bernardo wasn’t as fortunate because the judge gave him a life sentence with a 25-year parole window.
Following his most recent rejection of parole, Paul will stay behind bars
Paul Bernardo is still detained at the eastern Ontario prison of Millhaven. With the exception of one hour in the yard alone, Bernardo is restricted to his cell for the majority of the day.
Other than the letters he receives from his fans, the hazardous offender prisoner does not meaningfully connect with other people.
In February 2018, Bernardo met the requirements for release; since then, two of his requests for parole have been denied.
His most recent request for parole was made in June 2021. Paul’s plea was denied after just one hour of deliberation by the presiding judge.
Paul argued his case by saying that he had been without meaningful human contact for more than 10,000 days and that this had left him feeling “stressed and anxious.”
He affirmed that he had changed and characterized his punishment as cruel and inhumane.
I’m no longer consumed by illusions,” Paul declared. I am definitely a low risk. For two years, I have fought against every inappropriate sexual activity.
Bernardo denied being a sadist or psychopath and justified his actions by saying that he wanted to “punish” his victims for not satisfying his sexual needs.
Paul said, “I expected to be catered to. “I was a chauvinistic pig of a man.” The parole officer for Bernardo wasn’t much assistance, telling him that Paul hadn’t improved since his previous parole hearing in 2018. The parole officer advised against granting Paul parole.
The victims’ parents’ testimony at the hearing was the most powerful. Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French’s parents regarded Paul as a psychopath and incurable sadist who still poses a threat to society.
One of the hearing officers, Maureen Gauci, remarked, “You’re understanding and insight remain limited.
It was clear today that you are still engaging in actions that prevent you from gaining knowledge. You haven’t demonstrated how the community can manage the danger of crime.
According to a report obtained by The Toronto Sun from the Parole Board of Canada, Paul is a man who cannot be changed.
Psychologists determined that Paul had a number of incurable illnesses, including voyeurism, sexual sadism, paraphilia, psychopathy, and narcissistic personality disorder, according to a study.
According to research from 2020, Paul is not likely to commit the same crime again after being freed. Paul was, nonetheless, very likely to engage in sexual misconduct.
You are a high-risk offender, which is beyond question, the study stated.
Paul Bernardo will probably serve the remainder of his life behind bars.
The families of the deceased want Paul’s parole hearings to be separated more widely
The crimes committed by Paul still trouble the parents of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, who have each said as much on two separate occasions.
During the first parole hearing, Donna French’s mother asked, “How does one explain such immeasurable pain so as to give even the tiniest comprehension of the overwhelming sadness, the emptiness, and the pain we experience even after 26 years of suffering with our loss?”
Donna and her husband Doug claimed during the hearing in 2021 that “time doesn’t heal the anguish; the pain is a life sentence.”
Debbie Mahaffy bemoaned having to relive the killings with the French family each time Paul applied for release in her 2021 declaration.
Tim Danson, an attorney, read a statement that said:
As Bernardo re-enters our life and forces his horrors and horrific memories upon us, his desires are once more imposed upon us.
If we have to endure the atrocities again roughly every two years for the rest of our lives, what does it mean to rest in peace?
The family of the victims wants Paul Bernardo’s parole eligibility period to be at least five years long.
According to Debbie Mahaffy, every parole hearing causes families to fall apart because it takes them back to the 1990s.
It seems as though we have returned to the early 1990s and the 1995 trial: For all of us who have been involved, it is that real,” Danson read.
It’s uncertain whether the authorities will prolong Paul’s parole hearings. Despite the suffering, we are confident that Kristen and Leslie’s families will use any opportunity to protest Paul’s release
. Danson remarked, “They’re here for their girls, to hear their daughters’ voices.
