March 17, 1994 For Immediate Release
BREITKREUZ SPEAKS OUT FOR "VICTIMS' RIGHTS"
Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville made his fifth major address in the House of Commons today, speaking out in favour of the Reform Party's motion which would have victims' rights supersede criminals' rights.
To support his argument, Garry used the example of a victim from Sturgis, Saskatchewan, who had his car trashed by a group of teenagers. The victim had to wait over a year and half to receive even partial compensation for his losses and Saskatchewan Government Insurance has still not been compensated for their losses. The real miscarriage of justice is that six young offenders got off scot-free. Breitkreuz said, "This sends the wrong message to law-abiding citizens when criminals get special treatment and victims get the short end of the stick."
Breitkreuz made several recommendations to the House of Commons to improve restitution and compensation for the victims of crime.
1.The rights of the victim and compensation for the victims losses should be the top priority for the courts.
2.Restitution orders should be mandatory - not at the discretion of the courts.
3.Restitution orders should compensate the full costs incurred by the victim, including losses resulting from personal injury and/or loss or damage to property and, as well as all insurance claims.
4.Restitution orders should be enforceable. Why should the only recourse be for the victim to pursue the matter in civil court? We send people to jail if they don't pay their fines. Why not garnishee a portion of the criminal's wages until the restitution order is paid in full? I believe there is far too much emphasis on "rights" and we forget that we also have "responsibilities". In fact, we should not be entitled to our rights unless we first discharge our responsibilities.
5.There should be a compulsory requirement for provinces to spend money from the Victims Services Funds exclusively to compensate victims for their losses.
6.Criminals must be fully responsible and totally accountable for the damages and injuries they cause during the commission of their crimes. They should be legally bound to compensate their victims in full.
7.When criminals are serving time - and I'm talking about low risk offenders now, those who do not pose a risk of physical violence - I believe that these offenders should be involved in work programs. They should not be granted the luxury of lounging inside a taxpayer funded correctional centre. Convicted criminals involved in work programs should have a portion of their wages deducted and this revenue should be used to repay the victims of their crime. Another portion of the wages should be used to help pay for the cost of correctional services, including guards, food, accommodation, etc.
8.While there may be cases where charges against young offenders may not be warranted, they should always be required to compensate the victims for the damages and injuries they cause in the commission of their crimes. "If the young offenders had to pay their share of the costs of replacing a $6,500 car, they might think twice about committing another crime in the future," said Breitkreuz.
9.The parents of young offenders who are unable to compensate the victims of their crimes should be held responsible for making restitution to the victims.
10.Finally, Breitkreuz recommended that the government do a better job of informing victims of the limited rights they currently have.
Breitkreuz concluded, "In order to bring real justice back to the justice system, I am in the process of introducing a Private Member's Bill on Victims' Rights. My Victims' Rights bill will address all aspects of victims' rights including the recommendations I made in the House today by all Reformers."
For more information please call:
Yorkton: Phil DeVos - (306) 782-3309
Ottawa: Dennis Young - (613) 992-4394