Latimer still defends killing daughter 'I know I was right'

Started by outdoors, Feb 18, 2011, 06:03 AM

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Latimer still defends killing daughter
Saskatchewan farmer says 'I know I was right'
Last Updated: Thursday, February 17, 2011 | 9:08 PM ET
CBC News
Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer stands by his decision to end the life of his severely disabled daughter almost 20 years ago, in his first interview since being released on full parole in December.

Robert Latimer, now 57, has no regrets about his daughter's death. (Radio-Canada)In an exclusive interview with Radio-Canada (the CBC's French service), Latimer is unrepentant about killing his daughter Tracy in 1993. He also speaks frankly about his deep anger towards Canada's justice system, and its failings.

"I know I was right," Latimer, 57, declares to journalist Anne-Marie Dussault, in the 40-minute interview.

Tracy, 12, had severe cerebral palsy, and suffered chronic pain from repeated surgeries. She couldn't walk, talk, or feed herself.

The decision to end her suffering was hard "but it was not sad," said Latimer, who has always insisted his "mercy killing" asphyxiation was motivated by his love and compassion for Tracy.

"She'd had enough. That was it. We were done."

Latimer angry that Canada has no 'legal alternative'
Latimer's act unleashed a stormy debate over the rights of the disabled and the ethics of euthanasia and mercy killing. It also tested Canada's judicial system like no other case before.

'What is the legal alternative that we were supposed to take by law?'
--Robert LatimerIn 1994, he was convicted of second-degree murder, but the jury described his crime as a "mercy killing" and recommended a one-year sentence.

The judge at Latimer's trial, in an attempt to distinguish "compassionate homicide" from murder, granted him a constitutional exemption from any mandatory sentence. After several appeals, the exemption was thrown out, and Latimer was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

An undated photo of Robert Latimer and his daughter Tracy at home. (Maclean's/Canadian Press)Religious groups and disabled rights activists supported his conviction, saying it upheld laws protecting minorites and disabled people.

But the soft-spoken farmer sees his case differently, and harbours deep anger towards the Canadian justice system, and against those who dare judge him.

"They're just a bunch of arrogant, self-righteous, religious-backed people. They don't care about Tracy," he said. "They're just a bunch of sadistic butchers, really. They have to come clean on that. What is the legal alternative that we were supposed to take by law?"

Judges and juries should have the right to recognize compassionate killing, Latimer believes.

"They have to have a judicial process to establish right from wrong. It's designed to do that, it did not do that in our situation."

Watch Robert Latimer's full interview
"If it's the right thing, why shouldn't it be condoned? That's the very purpose of a jury trial."

Latimer said he feels branded, and often dreams of a new trial by jury, convinced that another judicial review of his case would perhaps produce a different verdict, and clear his name.

The full interview with Robert Latimer airs on Radio-Canada's news program 24 heures en 60 minutes.

With files from Anne-Marie Dussault, Radio-Canada This story is closed to commenting..

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2011/02/17/robert-latimer-defends-decision-to-kill-disabled-daughter.html#ixzz1EJbPOoxI


BRIAN

God help him. I am glad I have never had to make a decision like that.
You may sleep soundly at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence upon those who seek to harm you.

outdoors

 the thing is...if it was the mother who did this...well then -she would have done it out of compassion and would have had no choice but to end her daughter's suffering

a mother would never have gotten a day in jail-she would have got support

K9


the thing is...if it was the mother who did this...well then -she would have done it out of compassion and would have had no choice but to end her daughter's suffering

a mother would never have gotten a day in jail-she would have got support


Ditto.
Explaining misandry to a feminist is like explaining "wet" to a fish.

The Biscuit Queen

What a heartbreaking story.
he Biscuit Queen
www.thebiscuitqueen.blogspot.com

There are always two extremes....the truth lies in the middle.

Factory

Robert Latimer is widely supported in Saskatchewan, by nearly everyone. 

typhonblue

There was an article and/or video that compared this case to one in Ontario(I believe) in which a woman killed her disabled son and then tried to 'kill' herself by cutting her wrists. (Her son was no where near as disabled as the girl in this case, it mostly seemed like she was just tired of taking care of him.)

I'm pretty sure she got off.

Does anyone have a link to that story, or remember it?

neoteny

The only one I found after a short search:

1996 - Montreal, Quebec - Danielle (spelled as Daničle in some stories) Blais
Euthanized autistic 6-year-old son
Charge: First-degree murder, reduced to manslaughter
Result: Suspended sentence
Selected References:
1) "Charged with murder, mother gets support"
Montreal Gazette, November 8 1996, Page A1
2) "Suspended sentence for killing her child"
Montreal Gazette, July 3 1997, Page A3
The spreading of information about the [quantum] system through the [classical] environment is ultimately responsible for the emergence of "objective reality." 

Wojciech Hubert Zurek: Decoherence, einselection, and the quantum origins of the classical

typhonblue

Sounds like that was the one.

PaulGuelph

Here is a link to a list of mercy killings in Canada for comparison:

http://www.righttodie.ca/compassionatehomicides-canada.html

And here is an article comparing his sentence with sentences received by mothers in Canada in similar cases:

http://www.quebecoislibre.org/010203-9.htm

This is the stuff you are looking for.  :greener:

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typhonblue

Those were the droids I was looking for.

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