News

OTTAWA, Feb 20, 2001 (LSN.ca) – The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has launched a petition to ask the federal government to grant Robert Latimer clemency in the 1993 “mercy” killing of his disabled daughter Tracy. The petition has additional serious implications in that it also asks for the abolition of mandatory minimum sentences. LifeSite has received reports that the petition has circulated in communities across Canada in local newspapers.

The campaign capitalizes on media misinformation about Latimer’s case. The petition reads, “whereas it shocks the conscience of Canadians that a compassionate father must be punished as severely as a malevolent robber.” In light of the misinformation on the Latimer case, LifeSite is reproducing an excellent article on the case by Shafer Parker that appears in the current edition of The Report newsmagazine.

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Ontario told LifeSite that Canadians should be encouraged to continue to write their MP’s, the Minister of Justice and the Parole Board to ensure Latimer serves his full sentence. “Reducing Robert Latimer’s sentence sends the message to elderly, disabled or otherwise vulnerable Canadians that it is a lesser crime to kill them,” says Schadenberg. (See action item below)

The Report article reveals that court testimony showed Latimer tried to hide his role in Tracy’s death, initially telling police that she had died in her sleep. During the trial Mrs. Laura Latimer read from the diary she retained on Tracy’s developments. The entries made by Mrs. Latimer, reveal that in the last months of her life, Tracy was doing better than ever. Numerous entries record Tracy eating and sleeping well, and there are frequent descriptions of her as a “happy girl.” She was “all smiles” when her cousins came for a visit. And when her younger sister Lindsay invited friends for a sleep over, she was fully involved in their hi-jinks.

For the pro-life action item on Latimer go to:  https://lsn.ca/ldn/2001/jan/010125.html#3

For the full article on Latimer see today’s Special Report later today at:  https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/feb/020220a.html