April 6, 2017 - Family Statement: 2014 Butler Crescent

Homicides

We, the five families, vehemently disagree with the treatment teams request for additional privileges
outside of the secure hospital facility where there are no fences or security measures. We strongly
implore the Review Board to deny this request. The Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatric Centre
(SAFPC) is located within Calgary city limits and is within walking distance to a number of
communities and shopping malls. The idea that a person responsible for killing five people is allowed
to walk the unfenced grounds of this facility without any security personnel is beyond belief.

Going forward, we see no reason for de Grood to ever be conditionally released from a secure
facility to ensure our and the greater publics need for safety. Under the current laws, public safety is
paramount in this process.

As a parent, one can only imagine the horror of receiving a phone call from the police or a family
member informing you that your child has been killed. As the details unfold you come to learn that
your child was murdered and the absolute horror of what they endured becomes clear. Anyone that
has been through this understands the breathtaking shock, the ongoing nightmares and the
unrelenting grief. Every new day brings reminders of the enormity of our loss and there is no
reprieve

We are now three years into this journey and are unwilling participants in a process that to us, makes
little sense and only adds to our nightmare. We hold on to the hope that our involvement in the
Review Board process will bring some healing and that our voices will be heard, but regrettably, that
is not our experience. This review process only derails our healing.

The crime that de Grood committed is a clear predictor of what he is capable. Understanding that, it
is impossible to predict with absolute certainty that he will never re-offend. The decision regarding his
disposition now and in the future, should be obvious.

We understand that the Review Board process and current NCR legislation is what we are required
to work with and would agree that in most cases it appears to be working as needed, but trying to
apply a one size fits all approach to cases that are of such an extreme, brutal, and heinous nature
makes no sense. And we believe that a large majority of the public agrees with the absurdity of the
process in this instance.

Over the past three years we have been doing our best to unravel and make sense of the mental
health and legal issues surrounding this case and it has been daunting and overwhelming. To us, the
horrific, evil and extreme nature of de Groods crime speaks for itself and it is impossible for any of
us to reconcile that the circumstances of this case would not automatically warrant a high risk
designation. We recently heard council for de Grood make statements to the media that his client
does not pose a risk to society and that he should be considered for release and re-
integration. Given the extreme and heinous nature of this case, any rational person would find these
comments shocking and would strongly disagree. A line needs to be drawn where the most brutal
mentally ill perpetrators are dealt with exceptionally. The intent of the high risk NCR law is to deal
with the most dangerous and violent 1% and mass murder of five innocent individuals certainly
meets this test.

To the average person, the possibility that a person, even a person that has been deemed to be
NCR, should ever be considered for re-integration after they have committed such evil is
incomprehensible. This position would seem obvious, but in the context of our legal system and the
mental health sector, this position is not supported and in fact it appears to be strongly opposed.

After three years of legal wrangling, we are still being told that the pursuit of a high-risk designation
for de Grood is being evaluated and it has also been suggested the Alberta Crown Prosecution
Service will likely not be pursuing a high-risk designation for de Grood. We do not understand this
position and we will be aggressively pursuing detailed feedback from the Crowns office. Members of
the public can weigh in on this subject through letters to the Justice Minister of Alberta, Kathleen
Ganley, through their MLAs or the justice critics for the opposition parties. This is a democracy and
public opinion matters!

We are also speaking to you today to ask Canadians to inform themselves about NCR and to take a
stand on how the legal system is working with respect to high risk offenders that have been declared
not criminally responsible. There is a huge chasm between the penal and mental health systems in
the treatment of those that have committed a crime, and especially murder. Lets put all the
information on the table so we can all make informed decisions about what is acceptable, or not,
when it comes to the reintegration of high risk, NCR offenders.

Thank you for your time. And please re-print this statement in its entirety.

The Hong Family

The Hunter Family

The Perras Family

The Rathwell Family

The Segura Family