Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
MoreBack to News Headlines
Should serial killers serve multiple sentences consecutively? Winnipeg case ignites debate

Should serial killers serve multiple sentences consecutively? Winnipeg case ignites debate

CBC
Friday, August 30, 2024 3:26 PM GMT

WARNING: This story contains details about violence against Indigenous women.

The brutal acts of a Winnipeg serial killer that left even the judge who handed him a life sentence calling that punishment inadequate have illuminated a debate over how long people convicted of multiple murders should wait before getting a chance to apply for parole.

Jeremy Skibicki, 37, was officially sentenced Wednesday after being convicted in July of first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women in 2022. While each charge carries a mandatory life sentence without a chance of parole for 25 years, a 2022 decision from the Supreme Court of Canada ruled those sentences must be served concurrently, not one after another.

That means Skibicki is in effect serving the same sentence he'd have gotten if he'd only been convicted of murdering one woman — which doesn't sit well with some.

"You may say that he has four sentences, but what does that really mean? It really means nothing, because he's serving them all at the same time," said Karen Wiebe, the executive director of the non-profit Manitoba Organization for Victim Assistance. Her 20-year-old son, TJ Wiebe, was murdered in 2003.

That sentiment echoed ones shared outside the courthouse following Skibicki's sentencing, when family of one of the victims and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said they would prefer to see his sentences served consecutively. 

If that was an option, it would mean the four 25-year parole ineligibility periods could be stacked, and Skibicki could remain in jail with no chance of parole for as long as 100 years.

"I think that we just might have to change the legal system when it comes to consecutive sentencing, because he's got to be accountable for the four deaths that he committed," Merrick said, adding she's still confident that even though he'll be allowed to apply for parole after his 25-year period is up, Skibicki will "stay in that cell for the rest of his life."

In sentencing the murderer, Manitoba Court of King's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal said while he agreed with the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling, he thinks it was "purposely silent" on whether the law could eventually be changed for future cases like this one — leaving the door open for "an even more serious sanction … for cases involving, for example, a serial killer."

But one legal expert says even though Skibicki will be allowed to apply for parole, the chance of him getting it is "virtually nonexistent," given the "horrific details" of his crimes, and their impact on victims' families and public safety, all of which the parole board will consider if he does apply.

But even for the worst offenders, for whom parole prospects are slim, "it's important for inmates to have some incentive to abide by prison rules and to have some hope for their future. Our [justice] system really depends on that," said Lisa Kerr, an associate law professor at Queen's University.

"It may be sort of an emotionally appealing thing to say 'we should not even have a hearing 25 years down the road,' but it would be a very dysfunctional change in terms of how the prison system operates."

Kerr said the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to get rid of consecutive life sentences — introduced in 2011 legislation under Stephen Harper's Conservative government — wasn't about whether any particular offender deserves such an extreme punishment, but whether Canada should have to abide by any limits in the penalties it's allowed to give.

The old law was "a very blunt tool," she said, and deciding to bring it back now would be "betraying our values" as a country committed to constitutional rights, human dignity and rehabilitation.

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Information sharing with Alberta has improved since Kearl tailings spills, says N.W.T. minister

The N.W.T.'s environment minister says communication with the Alberta government has improved since a pair of oil spills several years ago. 

Fentanyl seizures are up at the U.S. northern border — but Canada is still a very small player

The latest data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows an uptick in the amount of fentanyl seized near the American northern border with Canada — but the quantities intercepted remain a tiny fraction of what's coming from Mexico.

Calgary Stampede: What the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth says about the economy

The purple toasted cob of corn shines under the afternoon sun as 25-year-old Allison Zhou lifts it up to show her friends on the opening day of the Calgary Stampede. It's ube-flavoured and covered in white and black sesame seeds. The cost? $15.

More and more influencers are offering financial advice on TikTok and YouTube. Should you take it?

If you've ever wondered how to navigate the stock market, build a budget or plan for retirement, your first stop might've once been a parent, a trusted friend or an advisor at the bank. 

Ontario group marks 40 years of keeping the history of Canada's WW II 'pilot maker' alive

For prospective young pilots intending to join the Allied effort during the Second World War, the Harvard was the ultimate training plane — but it also posed a key test. 

It's bananas: Churchill Park Music Festival books Gwen Stefani

There's no doubt that the Churchill Park Music Festival lineup is glittering with star power, with Gwen Stefani added as the latest headliner announced for the St. John's event.

3 dead in motorcycle crashes on N.S. highways this week

Three people have died in motorcycle crashes on Nova Scotia roads this week.

Topless Tuesday back on after liquor regulators force small N.B. resort to cancel event

In the lead-up to Hope Wellness Eco-Resort's first Topless Tuesday of this year, Katie Carson was surprised by a phone call she got from a man concerned about the event.

Man accused of running Canada's largest grandparent scam network arrested in Quebec

Gareth West, the alleged leader of a network of grandparent scammers accused of defrauding $30 million from American seniors, has been arrested.

Accessibility minister will keep her job after comments about sign-language interpreter: Manitoba premier

Premier Wab Kinew said Manitoba's accessibility minister will remain in her position after she apologized for swearing into a hot mic about sharing a stage with a sign-language interpreter.

Edmonton public hearing to resume next week, after heated city council exchange

Edmonton city council reluctantly voted to continue a public hearing next week — their vacation period — after Friday evening's debate led to swears being thrown.

CFIA confirms Prince Edward Island's 1st case of dermo, in oysters from Egmont Bay

Canadian Food Inspection Agency lab tests have confirmed the presence of the highly damaging mollusc disease dermo in oysters from P.E.I.'s Egmont Bay. 

City names laneway after Black woman who made difference to early Toronto

Toronto has officially named a laneway in the city's east end after a Black woman who made a big impact on her community in the early 1900s.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Jonathan Toews's healing journey: From long COVID back to the NHL

Researchers working on treatments and cures for long COVID are closely watching newly signed Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews's healing journey — and his return to the NHL after two years away.

Fortis Canada Games Complex opens it doors ahead of summer event

Local athletes will have the chance to test out the facilities they will soon compete in during the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's.

Artist from Sudbury, Ont., takes on new challenge a year after brain surgery

More than a year after she had surgery following a brain aneurysm, Sudbury, Ont., artist Monique Legault says she's been keeping busy with her work.

Saga of Black Refugees who left N.S. 200 years ago shaped a Canadian trailblazer

When Rhonda McEwen received her official royal letter of appointment as an honorary captain of the Canadian navy in Halifax on June 21, it marked the latest chapter in her remarkable family history.

Woman charged with impaired driving after car crashes into Toronto restaurant

A woman has been charged with impaired driving after allegedly driving into a restaurant in Toronto early Saturday morning, police say. 

Ambulance response times improve in early months of Winnipeg's new 911 dispatch system

Ambulances are getting to life-threatening emergencies faster since the launch of a five-priority dispatch system around two months ago, according to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

Sask.'s mortgage delinquency rate is highest among provinces, but it's getting worse in Ont. and B.C.

Tyler Fransen lost his Saskatoon home this spring after he missed mortgage payments due to financial circumstances and life situations that sent him over the tipping point.

New youth mental health centre planned for Fort McMurray

A youth mental health facility planned for construction in Fort McMurray hopes to provide services that many families in the community are currently forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to access. 

The chaos at Kamloops council continues as mayor's pursuit of forensic financial audit fails

The divide at Kamloops city council appears to be wider than ever following the recent defeat of a controversial motion put forward by Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson to conduct a forensic audit of all city departments and management practices.

How this Caldwell First Nation youth is helping to save turtles in Point Pelee

For the last four years, Sydney Simpson has been spending turtle nesting season walking along roadways and trails in Point Pelee.

Thunder Bay police block streets while on scene of incident on north side

Thunder Bay police have escorted a woman out of the building in the 100 block section of Cumberland Street North where they continue to respond to an ongoing incident.

Toronto still struggling to track snow plows with GPS, auditor finds

The city's plan to use GPS and field checks to track the work of snow-clearing contractors is still ineffective, Toronto's auditor general found in a new report.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us