A New Brunswick man whose teenaged daughter was killed in a convenience store robbery 27 years ago is standing up for victims of crimes and their families.
Ron Davis’ 16-year-old daughter Laura died from a gunshot wound to the head in 1987. Davis has been campaigning for improvements to victims’ rights legislation ever since.
He says a recent parole hearing for the man who killed his daughter is a good example of how their voices are not being heard.
He also says Justice Department funding for travel to parole hearings is often delayed, requiring victims to pay up front, which prevents some from attending.
“It needs to be adjusted to meet today’s needs…and it needs to look at, what about the victim that doesn’t have a credit card? They never asked you that,” says the Riverview, N.B. man.
Davis says he feels that many of the departments he deals with have little interest in what victims have to say.
Lawyer Michael Murphy says he’s optimistic forthcoming federal victims’ rights legislation could expand the focus of healing to include victims.
“As attorney general, I saw back several years ago that we were dealing really with the parole of this Patrice Mailloux, who had murdered this young girl, and not really dealing at all with the rights of the victim,” says Murphy.
A victim services co-ordinator for the RCMP says victims’ rights have evolved over the last few decades, but work still needs to be done, making voices like Ron Davis’ critical.
“The Department of Justice I am sure is doing some great work, but if we don’t know about these gaps that exist, then from there no changes can occur,” says Ginette Pettipas-Taylor.
Davis says his experiences with justice ministers have been frustrating so far, but he’s cautiously optimistic about a promised charter of victims’ rights.
“So, hopefully that will have some of the changes we have been talking about for a long time,” says Davis. “Talk is cheap.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell
