Granby girl’s father gets conditional day release to halfway house

The father of the Granby girl who died tragically in April 2019 at the hands of her father and step mother has been granted parole and will be transferred to a halfway house as soon as a place becomes available.

The victim, his seven-year-old daughter, had died of asphyxiation after being wrapped in duct tape.

“He spent less years in jail than the time she suffered. It’s troubling for the family, and it will always be in their heart and in their mind,” said Valérie Assouline, the lawyer for the girl’s mother and paternal grandparents.

In its 11-page decision made public on Wednesday, the Parole Board wrote that it “is of the opinion that you will not present an unacceptable risk to society if you are granted day parole and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by promoting your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen”.

The Commission notes that the 34-year-old has made “gains and progress in all areas of intervention” related to his case. It says that, according to the reports concerning him, his accountability, motivation and potential for social reintegration “are all rated as high”.

In addition, the psychological evaluation concludes that he presents “a low-moderate risk of violent recidivism”. Something the lawyer says the girl’s family does not agree with.

“The family will never agree with that. But the parole follow the rules that they have to follow. And, under those rules, he can be out right now,” Assouline added in an interview with CityNews.

The child’s father was sentenced to four years in prison in January 2022, after pleading guilty the previous month to a reduced charge of false imprisonment.

“When the sentence of four years was given, already, that’s what was the most troubling. We knew at that time that he would spend half of the time in jail,” Assouline said.

The girl’s stepmother, was sentenced to life in prison in December 2021 without possibility of parole for 13 years. She was convicted of second-degree murder and forcible confinement.

This was the man’s third attempt to obtain day parole. A first attempt last April had failed, and he had returned to the case by appealing this decision, an appeal which was rejected last September.

As with the previous application, the child’s paternal grandmother came out in opposition to her son’s release at the hearing of his application on November 30, saying she feared for her safety and that of the other members of the child’s family.

“Is it normal that a man that committed such crimes spent only 20 months in jail? Is that normal? This is what the society has to think about,” concluded Assouline.

His transfer to a halfway house, where he will remain until the end of his sentence, comes with a number of conditions, including a ban on contact with other people connected with the tragedy. He will be forbidden to be in the presence of children under the age of 16, and will have to report any relationship, sexual or otherwise, with a woman. He will also have to continue his psychological counseling.

The child’s death shocked the whole of Quebec and led to the creation of a Commission of Inquiry into Children’s Rights and Youth Protection, chaired by Régine Laurent, whose report has yet to be implemented.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 6, 2023.