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The other victim: Williams’ wife

Russell Williams is a monster, a vicious, manipulative sexual predator with an untold number of victims.

Russell Williams is a monster, a vicious, manipulative sexual predator with an untold number of victims.

The Canadian government needs to treat those victims respectfully and compassionately, including the forgotten one.

The most obvious and tragic victims were Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Marie-France Comeau, 38, the two vibrant women Williams sexually assaulted, videotaped and murdered.

Then there’s their surviving families. They will never forget and it’s doubtful that they will ever forgive Williams for what he did.

In his role as commander at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Williams wrote to the family of Cpl. Comeau, who served as an attendant on some of the flights that he piloted. His passengers included Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and members of his cabinet.

“I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the men and women of 8 Wing Trenton to express my sincere condolences on the tragic death of your daughter,” Williams wrote in December 2009.

“Marie-France was a professional, caring and compassionate woman who earned the respect of all with whom she came into contact. She set high standards for herself and others and was devoted to the well-being of those around her. Marie-France made a lasting impact in Trenton, and will be sorely missed by her many friends.”

“Please let me know whether there is anything I can do to help you during this very difficult time. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.”

Sincere condolences?

In our thoughts and prayers?

Prior to murdering Comeau and shedding crocodile tears, Williams accessed military file information to learn that she lived alone. Then he stalked her, raped and suffocated her with duct tape while taking video along the way.

Nothing Williams says can be trusted or taken at face value.

How he managed to rise so fast and so high up Canada’s ranks is a shocking indictment of our military hiring practices.

Before being named commandant at CFB Trenton, Williams headed Canada’s “secret” Camp Mirage base in the Middle East, which is now being shut down because our federal government kowtowed to Air Canada in refusing more landing rights here to two Dubai-based airlines.

Williams will likely serve the rest of his life behind bars for the 88 crimes he admitted committing. He will be 74 years old before the mandatory 25-year jail sentence for murder expires.

If he’s not dead, he won’t be a threat to Canadian society and he is not assured of release even then.

But Williams has a surviving family, too: wife Mary Elizabeth Harriman.

Williams professed to love her and apologized unconvincingly.

“I love you. . . .” he wrote after admitting his murders to police. “I am so very sorry for having hurt you like this.”

If Williams truly loved her, he would not have treated her so shabbily.

Following Williams’ conviction this week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to take “all necessary actions” to make sure he loses his military benefits.

Government benefits for murderers suddenly became a hot topic this spring after the public learned that mass murderer Clifford Olson was collecting an old-age pension and a Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income pensioners while in prison for torturing and murdering 11 children and youths in British Columbia in the early 1980s.

Harper moved quickly to close that loophole, which had been totally off the public radar in the five years after Olson turned 65.

A potential problem in Williams’ case is his military pension. Based on his rank and years of service, he would be eligible for up to $60,000 a year.

He will not need that money in jail, nor does he deserve it.

But Harriman is surely a victim of his crimes and she does not deserve to be re-victimized if the government turns to vengeance rather than justice.

If she is entitled to a share of his pension, she should get every cent owed to her.

Joe McLaughlin retired last year after 25 years as managing editor of the Red Deer Advocate.