The family of a man allegedly triggered by a 12 -year -old boy is criticizing what he calls a “devastating failure of the justice system” after the child was released on bail on Wednesday.
The police in the York region said the child was released on bail during the August 14 shooting near McCowan Road and 14th Avenue who sent a man to the hospital. The defendant, from Toronto, was arrested on Tuesday and accused of attempted murder.
Constant James Dickson said the suspect was released on bail after appearing in the Court on Wednesday for the shooting of August 14.
Police say that the young man has also been accused of downloading a firearm with intention, possession of property obtained by crime and other charges.
The victim’s family issued a statement on Thursday that expresses its concern about the young people who release on bail for the second time.
“Learning that the person who allegedly committed a violent act against our family is once again more free in the community has left our family deeply restless and fearful,” said the Daisy group statement, a communications organization that represents the family.
“The last weeks have been a nightmare for our family, seeing the victim slowly recover, and try to make sense of the idea that someone could commit such an atrocious attack not sensitive to our family has kept us awake at night and keeping our children closer.”
Police looking for at least 1 more suspect
Dickson says that the police continue to investigate a reason behind the shooting, and the officers are looking for at least an additional suspect.
“We are still investigating why our victim was attacked. That is part of the ongoing investigation,” Dickson said.
The family is asking for a bail reform, saying that despite their age, the defendant could be a danger to the public.
“This individual was already free due to bail laws in Canada, and the fact of not identifying a potentially dangerous repeat offender, regardless of their age, is a devastating failure of the justice system,” the statement said.
The York Police is making an appeal for bail reform throughout the province after a series of violent crimes, including a fatal invasion for the home.
“The bond laws must change in Canada, we must call our leaders to address this so that repeated dangerous criminals remain behind bars and cannot commit future crimes.
This case occurs after a series of supposed homicides and housing invasions in the York region and the province in recent days, which caused recent calls for the Federal Reform of the Bail of the Police and politicians.
“Once again, we are seeing the people released on bail involved in serious crimes within our community,” police chief of the York region, Jim Macsween, said in a press release on the 12 -year accused.
“We must advocate legislative measures that guarantee that violent and repeat offenders remain out of the streets, while focusing on rehabilitating our young people, to guarantee public security, protect our officers and maintain public confidence,” he said.
Concerns about bail politicization
The Office of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada addressed the issue of bail reform in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are working closely with the provinces and territories to reform bail and sentence, so the police and prosecutors have stronger tools to keep violent criminals out of the streets,” said spokesman Jeremy Bellefeuille. “We hope to work with all the parties when the package is introduced later this fall.”
Tonya Kent, a criminal lawyer with headquarters in Toronto, is not aware of the case, but generally talked about cases involving young people.
“The bond is always a crown for young people,” Kent said. “What that means is that the crown is the one that has to demonstrate that young people should not be released, regardless of the position … it depends on the evidence of the position.”
Kent also says that the police are using certain cases to strengthen their political agendas, while leaving aside important details related to cases, such as bail types granted to the defendants.
“The police are using many of these cases as a political agenda in regards to argue [Section] 11 (e) of the letter, “he said.
There is Different types of bail under the Canadian bail system, Some include specific conditions and the conditions in the range and could include house arrest or ankle bracelets. Kent said this information is rarely disclosed by the police, which can be misleading for the public.
“The police are leaving aside that information when they make their news communications to make the public misunderstanding or irritates himself against the bond, which is essentially what his political agenda is at this time,” he said.
