Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 7, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A10 Canada / world Winnipeg free press wednesday july 7, 2004 Crown to Appeal sentence of couple who caged boys by Colin Perkel t Oronto ? an Appeal of a nine month jail term for a couple who caged and abused two boys Over a 13-year period is All but certain but wont be launched just to satisfy those who consider the sentences outrageously lenient sources with Ontario a ministry of attorney general said yesterday. Reflecting the gut reaction of people across the country Legal sources said the punishment simply does to reflect the Gravity of the crimes that bordered on torture of two innocent children. I will request an Appeal of the sen tence said John Scott the top Crown attorney in Oshawa. Its virtually while the request has to be approved by the ministry of the attorney general sources there said approval was All but certain. If a judge makes a mistake and it in to really impacting on the administration of Justice generally its less significant than if the judge makes a mistake and half the population thinks they can to Trust the Justice system anymore one source said. Its mind boggling. The abuse went on for so Long and they were children. Those factors really aggravate not surprisingly the sentence was the talk of Blackstock the close knit town of 2,500 Northeast of Toronto where the boys were rescued three years ago. A lot of people Are really shocked said Jackie Jackson a 17-year-old clerk at Penny a mini Mart in the town. Was found in a Cage too Small to stretch out in. It was padlocked and strapped to a Wall. ? Canadian press family members less Likely to get jail study shows Ottawa ? family members convicted of most forms of violent crimes against spouses children and seniors were less Likely than other violent offenders to get a prison term statistics Canada says. The Agency Analysed police and court records from 1997-98 to 2001-02 in 18 Urban areas in Newfoundland and Labrador Ontario Saskatchewan and Alberta for its 2004 report entitled fam ily violence in Canada. It found that spouses were less Likely to receive prison terms for almost All types of violent crimes with the exception of criminal harassment also known As stalking. Of those convicted of criminal harassment one third of spouses received a prison term compared with one Quarter of offenders who were not convicted of spousal family members convicted of physical violence against children received less harsh sentences compared with cases not involving family members. But the opposite was True in convicted cases of sexual assault. Family members convicted of sexually assaulting children received harsher sentences than others convicted of sexually assaulting a child to whom they were unrelated the study found. Further parents convicted of sexually assaulting their children were More Likely than other family members to receive a prison ? Canadian press reaction was similar across the coun try with people writing to newspapers calling radio stations and even complaining directly to the Crown office in Oshawa just East of Toronto where the Case was handled. Is there any Way we can protest we can say something we can get behind those boys said Nathalie Regnier a Mother of a 2 1/2-year-old in Halifax. On monday Ontario court judge Don Halikowski jailed the couple for what he called the near torture of the sons they had adopted As toddlers. When investigators rescued the teenage Brothers from the ramshackle two Storey farmhouse in Blackstock one Queen tries to heal Diana rifts made such an Impact on our lives by Kevin Ward she said. Of course there were difficult times but memories Mellow London ? the Queen spoke of time with the passing of the years. I Healing old wounds As she came face remember especially the happiness to face yesterday with Earl Spencer she gave to my two for the first time since Princess in a sign of Diana a continuing pop Diana a funeral stirring memories of clarity even in death an estimated his rebuke of the Royal family for 4,000 people turned out. Their treatment of his sister. British newspaper reports indicate As she opened a memorial Fountain de the Queen had written several to the late Princess of Wales the drafts of her speech in order to hit Queen remembered Diana As a the right tone in her first tribute to woman who had a profound influence Diana since her funeral. On those who knew her but she did tas the Queen prepared to leave shy away from the troubles in her Britain a press association said she relationship with the Royal family. Approached Spencer and said i Hope i cannot forget and nor can those you feel satisfied by of us Here today who knew her much he replied yes a am More than More personally As sister wife or or daughter in Law the Diana who ? Canadian press Blind pupils dog gets him barred from immersion by Chris Morris Fredericton ? a Blind francophone student at the University of new Brunswick has been barred from eng Lish immersion classes because his guide dog Only responds to French commands. Yvan Tessier of trois rivieras que., said yesterday he has been told he and his dog Pavot can to attend the Immer Sion program at the University a Fred Ericton Campus. It would be too confusing to try and retrain him Tessier said in an inter View struggling to speak in English. It would take a lot of Tessier has been studying religion at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. He was awarded a bursary to take the five week English immersion program at Una this summer Long recognized As one of the most intensive and successful Immer Sion programs in Canada. Mingle the students Many of them from for eign countries Are not permitted to speak French during the course. They also have to mingle in the Community learning to communicate with people in English. Tessier said he sent a Cheque for the course in the Spring and understood he was accepted. However he said when he later informed the University that he was visually impaired the University said it did not have time to properly prepare for Tessier a special needs. The University also tried to elicit a signed pledge from Tessier declaring that he would communicate with his dog Only in English. It is imperative that you return this signed statement indicating your under standing that All communication with your guide dog will be exclusively in English states the declaration sent to Tessier by Debbie Pepin coordinator of the University a English language pro Gram. The declaration was sent to Tessier on june 28. The immersion program began last sunday. Will make a complaint i will make a complaint to the human rights commission Tessier said refer ring to the provincial commission. Its obvious that i was discriminated against by the Una Tessier has come to Fredericton and says he is planning to stay in the City for several Days in Hopes the University will change its decision and admit him. University officials were scrambling yesterday to explain what happened. In or. Tessier Scase some of the pro Grams academic and administrative requirements were not met and Ade quate Advance notice of or. Tessier a intent to attend this particular session was not Given the University said in a statement. The University was therefore unable to accommodate or. Tessier in this particular five week Susan Mesheau a spokesman for Una said the University has a Good track record with visually impaired Stu dents. She said there have been other cases were students attended the eng Lish immersion program with guide dogs. The Mira foundation based in que Bec is the Only organization in the world that trains guide dogs in French. ? Canadian press ;