Marpole rapist granted day parole
Credit to Author: Keith Fraser| Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2020 22:11:17 +0000
A dangerous offender who was dubbed the “Marpole rapist” while committing sex offences against 11 women nearly 30 years ago has been granted day parole for a second time.
In November, the Parole Board of Canada denied full parole to Gary Jagur Singh, 64, but granted him day parole following a recommendation from the Correctional Service of Canada.
Singh, who was jailed indefinitely for his crimes, was initially released on day parole in 2006, but in November 2007 was seen in the company of a woman believed to be a sex trade worker and had his parole revoked.
In its November decision, the parole board said that more than 10 years had passed since Singh was re-incarcerated and noted that he had demonstrated a commitment to a release plan and a “continued openness” to addressing his risk factors and his sexual deviancy.
“You have managed to reduce your dynamic risk to moderate from high, you are assessed as having high accountability, high motivation and are considered engaged in your correctional plan,” says the nine-page decision.
“A recent psychological assessment indicates that you remain a moderate risk to reoffend, but that you have demonstrated that your risk can be managed in a community setting with structure and ongoing support.”
Singh was convicted of seven counts of sexual assault, four counts of sexual assault with a weapon, eight counts of break and enter, and three counts of robbery. He was declared a dangerous offender in 1994.
The offences, which occurred between January 1988 and August 1991, involved Singh forcefully taking three women off the street and assaulting them in dark, secluded areas.
Eight other women were asleep in their apartments in Vancouver’s Marpole neighbourhood when Singh broke into their homes and assaulted them. He woke up the victims and threatened them, and on several occasions, their children as well. At times, he held a knife to the victims’ throats or threatened violence against them.
All of the victims were strangers to Singh.
Victim impact statements described the ongoing fear and mental health struggles of the victims, persisting for decades with little confidence that they would ever go away, noted the board in its decision.
“Victims describe being unable to be home alone, fear being out in their communities that you or someone else will hurt them, and as the sentencing judge describes, a general inability to live life in a carefree way ever again.”
The board said that while it was cognizant of the extreme harm Singh had caused the victims, other factors including the progress he had made and the “strong and structured” release plan were sufficient to satisfy the board that the risk on day parole was not undue.
“Full parole is denied as you have not demonstrated the sustained and predictable ability to manage your risk in the community for this expanded form of parole.”
The conditions of Singh’s day parole include that he not consume alcohol and not enter establishments, including strip clubs, where the primary source of income is the sale of alcohol.
He is to report all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with females to his parole supervisor, and is not to be in the company of sex trade workers or be present in areas where sex trade workers are known to frequent.
Singh must also have no contact with any of the victims and not travel to Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands.
The decision said that leave for the day parole to begin was not authorized at this time as Singh needed to demonstrate that he can transition into the community and focus on making community connections as his main priority.
But a relative of one of the victims said that she had recently received a phone call from Victim Services of B.C. advising her that Singh will be released Jan. 9.
The board referred any inquires about the release date to Correctional Service Canada, which said the release date was protected under the Privacy Act.