Saturday, June 04, 2005

Some debts can not be paid

GRAPHIC WARNING
This blog post contains some graphic content of a disturbingly sexual nature.


I have recently read some differing "blogopinions" on the overall fairness of the terms of release set for Karla Homolka, undoubtedly Canada's most notorious female convict, and I have some thoughts on the matter. OK, I have a lot of thoughts.

Judge Jean Beaulieu recently ruled that Karla Homolka remains a danger to society and set strict conditions on her behaviour for after her July release date. These types of conditions are not uncommon for convicted criminals deemed to be dangerous offenders. I would even go so far as to say that members of our society are happy that legislation like this exists to protect them and their families from people who are most likely to re-offend.

Note that Karla did sign Beaulieu's conditions and has asked her lawyer to let Canadians know she intends to abide by them. But don’t feel too safe, it’s only for one year.

As such, for the next year, Karla will report to police once a month, stay away from convicted criminals (this includes her boyfriend, Jean-Paul Gerbet, who murdered his common law wife), inform authorities if she intends to travel to Ontario, undergo court mandated therapy, and not be in contact with anyone under the age of 16. Lastly, she has been prohibited from communicating with Paul Bernardo and the families of their victims. Beaulieu made it clear that violation of any of these conditions once she is released means an additional two years in prison.

What did Karla do that was so bad anyways?

Tammy Lyn Homolka

Tammy was Karla's fifteen year old sister. On December 23, 1990 Karla, using halcion sleeping pills she had crushed into alcoholic drinks, induced a state of unconsciousness in Tammy, intending her as a Christmas gift for her husband, Paul Bernardo. Before Tammy died, Paul and Karla took turns raping her until Paul began to penetrate her anally. This is when Tammy began to choke on her own vomit. Karla turned her upside down to clear her airway but to no avail. They hid the evidence, dressed her and called 911, but Tammy was already dead.

Stephen Williams in his book Invisible Darkness describes Karla's plan for Tammy.

She had really thought this thing with Tammy through. After all, she did not want to kill her own sister; she just wanted to knock her out and give her to Paul for Christmas. They sedated animals before they put them to sleep for surgery, so it should be all right to do it to her sister..." "A truly organized rape, as only a thoughtful sister could plan. Maybe even the most thought out and organized rape ever."


Tammy’s death at that time was deemed to be accidental. Because Tammy’s actual cause of death was revealed only after the plea deal, Karla was not be charged with it.

Leslie Mahaffy

Kidnapped at knife point on Friday, June 14, 1991, Leslie was made to strip for the camera, was raped numerous times and beaten for over 24 hours. Paul directed Karla in numerous sexual acts with Leslie, giving elaborate instructions before trading places to take his turn. There was no one to hear Leslie’s screams of pain as Paul raped her anally her with his trademark brute force. She was then (apparently) strangled with an electrical cord before being dismembered, encased in blocks of cement and dumped in a nearby lake. Her remains were discovered on June 29, the very day that Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were married.

Kristen French

Also kidnapped by knife point, Karla and Paul grabbed Kristen from right outside of her all girls Catholic secondary school on April 16, 1992. They took her home and made her strip out of her school uniform for them, videotaping her using the bathroom. Paul and Karla shared in molesting Kristen. Her rape and torture was much more extensive than Leslie’s was and lasted 3 days, during which time she was forced to fellate Paul and Karla used objects to penetrate her repeatedly. They urinated on her. Eventually they discarded her body in a trash dump near Burlington, in time for Paul and Karla to make Easter dinner at Karla’s parent’s house.

Jane Doe

Jane Doe was a wedding gift for Paul from Karla, meant to replace the loss of Tammy in their fantasy games. Jane was a 15 year old friend of Tammy’s who was unfortunate enough to resemble Tammy. Karla befriended young Jane and on the night she was to present her to Paul she gave her alcohol laced with Halcion and waited for her to pass out. Karla undressed Jane and made love to the unconscious girl first. Paul took her virginity and raped her anally. She didn’t awake until the next morning so had little idea what had happened. In the future Karla invited Jane back again and again, but Jane was far from the ideal sex slave, refusing to let Paul have actual intercourse with her (as she thought she was still a virgin) and agreeing only to oral sex. The druggings continued. (It is worth noting that now 29, Jane Doe wants Karla Homolka charged for drugging, raping and almost killing her when she was a child. She asserts that neither she, nor her parents at any time agreed with prosecutors to waive charges against Homolka for her rapes.)

In all these cases the camera in the corner
captured everything. They taped it all.


I don’t believe that Karla is as innocent in these crimes or as safe as she and her lawyers would lead us to believe.

Paul, who was known to authorities as the Scarobouro Rapist, was the perpetrator of numerous rapes over many years. This behaviour continued even after he married Karla with her knowledge. Both young and old, he brutally raped them. However, his MO never included killing them.

Instead, the girls that died were the ones that were victims of both Karla and Paul together. Paul has always blamed the murders of the Leslie and Kristen on Homolka, saying that they happened during times that he had left them alone with Karla. However, since the actual murders themselves were not videotaped the point is moot.

Her word against his, whatever that is worth.

It does stand to reason that if Karla had the opportunity to make a plea bargain to lessen her own fate she would. Just because she testified that Paul killed the girls doesn’t mean he actually did. By pleading guilty to manslaughter and testifying against her husband she received a twelve year sentence instead of sharing his fate. Scared of a lifetime in jail Karla had every motive to lie.

An offender like Karla does not "pay her debt to society" and then get to walk free, forgiven. Being classified as a dangerous sexual offender gives authorities the ability to protect possible future victims from her sick intentions.

Karla Homolka is the worst kind of predator. She preys upon children, including her own sister and her sister’s friends. She is violent and uninhibited. She utilizes drugs to incapacitate her victims. Her crimes subsequently get worse in length and nature. She refuses to admit how much she enjoyed her part in the horrific scenarios that she created as gifts for her husband’s pleasure or to take part in any meaningful rehabilitation. She shows no remorse.

And next month, she's out.

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