Kidnapped, raped and murdered. Those were the brutal circumstances in 2002 that tragically ended the life of 27-year-old Julie Boisvenu, daughter of Quebec Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu.
In 2005, another of his daughter’s died in a car crash.
Boisvenu is bitter over the loss of his two daughters — one at the hands of a monster. Wouldn’t any Canadian under similar circumstances be bitter?
The senator is in the hot seat over remarks made last week suggesting an easy solution to resolving the dilemma of jailing killers, at taxpayers’ expenses, would be to offer the offender the option of suicide.
“Basically, every killer should (have) the right to his own rope in his cell,” Boisvenu said. “They can decide whether to live.”
The remarks sparked discussion about both the senator’s perspective and whether the was, given his political position, out of line.
And certainly as a senator, the comments were inappropriate. But they were not made in his official position as a senator. They were not made during the debate of a crime bill.
As a father, reflecting on his own family’s tragedy, it would appear that emotion got the better of him.
We should all understand that. Abhorrent criminal behaviour, so difficult for normal people to understand, often sparks outrage — and sometimes even a desire for vengeance. We would not be human if emotion didn’t surface in such circumstances.
Faced with the savage, inhuman acts of people like serial child rapist/killer Clifford Olson, or mass killer Robert Pickton, do most Canadians view the justice system’s response in a rational way? Or, instead, have they wondered if society would be better off if these heinous criminals were dead?
After his daughter’s murder, Boisvenu became an outspoken victims’ rights advocate and was once head of a victims’ family support group. He was appointed to the Senate two years ago.
His comments last week have drawn support from many Canadians and drawn expressions of sympathy over his circumstances.
Said one online writer: “I think being a senator is not a valid reason to prevent a person to express an opinion. Whether you are a business leader, a senator, or in public assistance, freedom of expression exists for all. . . . ” Expressing himself in such a fashion, the writer continued is “not a reason to deprive him of a job.”
But Jacques McBrearty, 26, a Quebec man, is seeking legal action against Boisvenu. He says the senator broke by law “inciting suicide,” which is a criminal offence. “If he thinks vengeance and injustice are the same thing, I think he should just resign and live a life of his own,” said McBrearty.
Others are rallying around the senator. Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney, a fellow Conservative, said it’s wrong to attack the senator, given the tragedies that have befallen his family. “It’s a lack of compassion for the father of a victim of a heinous act,” said Blaney. “We all know what happened to the senator’s daughter.”
In Boisvenu’s shoes, it would be difficult to find compassion for the offender and offer forgiveness.
It’s far more constructive to try to understand Boisvenu’s perspective, even if you don’t agree with it, than to condemn him and try to muzzle him.
Rick Zemanek is an Advocate editor.