FSIN ‘outraged’ at parole granted to former residential school supervisor
Paul Leroux convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency against boys at Beauval residential school
CBC News Posted: Jun 14, 2016 10:57 AM CT Last Updated: Jun 14, 2016 10:57 AM CT
Paul Leroux was found guilty of indecent assault and gross indecency against boys at the Beauval Indian Residential School between 1959 and 1967.
The chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says he’s outraged at the decision to grant parole to a former residential school supervisor.
In 2013, Paul Leroux was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency against young boys at the Beauval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan between 1959 and 1967. He received a seven-year, ten month sentence, but the Parole Board of Canada is allowing him to serve the rest of the sentence outside of prison.
“The entire legal and judicial process surrounding the Leroux case is a slap in the face to the Residential School Survivors who were victimized by Paul Leroux,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron in a news release. “The most recent decision to grant parole to Leroux makes a mockery of all the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This sexual predator is basically allowed to destroy the lives of innocent children with minimal consequences.”
The parole board ruled that Leroux is at a low-risk to reoffend. In July, he’ll be eligible for full parole, which means he’ll be able to live with his partner in southern B.C.
At that point, he will have served one-third of his sentence
“Our Survivors have been victimized again by the decision to grant Paul Leroux parole,” said Meadow Lake Tribal Council Tribal Chief Eric Sylvestre. “The detrimental effects of Leroux’s criminal actions have impacted our people for their entire lives and caused irreparable damage to them and their families and the decision by the National Parole Board to release Leroux shows that the suffering he has caused means nothing to the National Parole Board.”
Leroux has served a previous sentence for abusing several underage males at Grollier Hall, the residential school in Inuvik where Leroux worked as an activities supervisor and guidance counsellor. Those convictions were for gross indecency, indecent assault, attempted indecent assault and attempted buggery between 1967 and 1979.
Leroux will be under strict conditions while he serves out the rest of his sentence. He’s to have no contact with boys or pornography of any form.
The parole board is still concerned that Leroux remains in denial about his Saskatchewan offences, though the board does note that Leroux has strategies in place to manage his risk.
