The mother of a slain off-duty police officer says she doesn't want her daughter's killer to get any benefits from Veterans Affairs.
The government won't say if Christopher Garnier is still receiving veterans' benefits, citing privacy considerations.
That's not good enough for Susan Campbell, whose daughter Catherine Campbell was murdered by Garnier in September 2015.
Garnier was sentenced this summer to life in prison, with no parole for 13-and-a-half years, for second-degree murder in Campbell's death.
“We've been through a lot in three years,” Susan Campbell says. “There doesn't seem to be an end in sight. And this certainly doesn't … this is an injustice, we feel. And it certainly does not help us with our healing process.”
Campbell is talking about the discovery that Garnier was receiving veterans' benefits for dealing with PTSD caused by the murder.
Court documents show he was eligible because his father was a veteran.
Public outcry saw the government change the policy last month so that veterans' benefits would no longer go to family members serving time in a federal facility.
The new government policy is not retroactive, and because of privacy concerns, no one at Veterans Affairs will say if Garnier continues to receive veterans' benefits. Campbell says that's just not right.
“I think we have a right to know, as well as veterans have a right to know,” Susan Campbell said. “A privacy issue? Like, it's out there. We didn't put it out there.”
Campbell isn't against Garnier getting treatment, just not from the department established to help veterans.
“People that are incarcerated, there's help available for them,” she said. “They're not getting special help, they're getting help that is provided by Corrections Canada.”
Campbell vows to keep pushing until she gets the answers she wants about her daughter’s killer.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.
