Rodney Stafford has a message for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “God bless and I pray for you to do the right thing, which is to ensure this justice is reversed and a child killer is returned to prison to finish her sentence behind bars!”
The message is contained in a Facebook post that Stafford published on Tuesday in response to the news that Terri-Lynne McClintic, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in his daughter Tori’s murder, has been transferred from an Ontario prison to a healing lodge in Saskatchewan.
Coverage of Tori Stafford on Globalnews.ca:
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‘It made me sick’: Father of Tori Stafford speaks up against relocation of her convicted killer -
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Scheer challenges authority of PM to keep Tori Stafford’s killer in prison -
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Trudeau slammed about transfer of Tori Stafford’s killer to healing lodge -
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Tori Stafford juror seeks compensation for PTSD after murder trial -
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“I may not have grown up living a perfect life, but I grew up to learn that I love the country I live in and I know right from wrong!” he wrote.
“It’s a safe and beautiful country. Now I see so many hearts breaking because people are no longer feeling safety and reassurance within our laws.”
He asked why “convicted child murderers such as Terri-Lynne McClintic deserve more rights than their victims and law-abiding Canadians.’
Stafford published the Facebook post one day after he spoke with Global News and said news of McClintic’s transfer made him “sick.”
READ MORE: ‘It made me sick’ — father of Tori Stafford speaks up against relocation of her convicted killer
Tori was raped and murdered in Woodstock, Ont., on April 8, 2009.
McClintic pleaded guilty to her role in the murder in 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
Michael Rafferty was convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in Tori’s death and was similarly sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
On Thursday, Anne Kelly, the head of Correctional Service Canada, told MPs she was “comfortable” with the decision to move McClintic to a healing lodge.
She said this as Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale pledged a review of the transfer, though he said he doesn’t have the authority to reverse it.
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“At this point, I am comfortable with the decision, but if through the review any adjustments need to be made, I will ensure they are implemented,” Kelly said.
READ MORE: Corrections official stands by decision to transfer McClintic to healing lodge
McClintic’s transfer triggered heated exchanges in question period on Wednesday.
Conservative public safety critic Tony Clement slammed the federal government over the transfer, noting disturbing details from Tori’s murder and saying, “The prime minister knows full well that he has the power and authority to change this case in an instant.
“Why will he not use his power and authority right now to do the right thing for Tori’s family and the right thing for society?”
WATCH: Trudeau slammed about transfer of Tori Stafford’s killer to healing lodge
Trudeau responded that McClintic had been transferred to a medium-security facility in 2014, under the previous Conservative government.
“That question needs to be noticed by Canadians and that behaviour needs to be noticed by Canadians,” he said.
NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson later said that the Conservatives’ “exploitation of this little girl’s death is sickening.”
Stafford expects to hold a rally on Parliament Hill alongside friends and family on Nov. 2.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “our hearts go out to the family of Tori Stafford for the loss they endured and have lived with these past nine years. No parent should have to experience such a senseless tragedy.”
It then forwarded a statement from Goodale saying, “not only is the Commissioner of the Correctional Service examining every dimension of this case to ensure that all laws and all policies as they existed at that time were properly followed, she is also examining the question of whether those policies are in fact the right ones for the proper handling of inmates and to keep Canadians safe.
“I will be very anxious to have her conclusions.”
Finally, the PMO said the review is being undertaken “in full respect of our independent judiciary system and the rule of law.”
— With files from Mark Carcasole and Amanda Connolly
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