Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to resign after learning of Paul Bernardo’s prison transfer, as Mendicino claimed no knowledge of the transfer.. Marco Mendicino .Poilievre wants Mendicino or those responsible for the prison transfer to be fired or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should “fire him.”.“When Paul Bernardo was moved from a maximum-security penitentiary to a medium-security penitentiary, Minister Mendicino said he was shocked, totally shocked, and now we know that he was informed three months earlier, and did absolutely nothing,” said Poilievre..The Public Safety minister's staff knew for three months that Bernardo would be moved to a medium-security prison..Mendicino said he was not informed of the convicted serial killer and rapist's transfer until after it had already taken place on May 30, the day after the transfer was completed..Poilievre does not believe Mendicino he only found out after the transfer, accusing Mendicino of lying..On March 2, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) sent an email to Mendicino's office, notifying them that Bernardo would be transferred from a maximum-security facility to a medium-security one at some point in the next few months. .On May 25, a second email was sent to Mendicino’s office informing them the transfer of Bernardo would take place four days later, on May 29..Bernardo is currently in prison for the rest of his life for the murders, kidnapping, and torture of two teenage girls, Kristen French, 15, and Leslie Mahaffy, 14. .Bernardo was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Tammy Homolka, who lost her life after being drugged and sexually assaulted..In addition, Bernardo openly admitted to sexually assaulting 14 other women..Karla Homolka, who was married to Paul Bernardo, participated in the crimes and was released from prison in 2005. .Karla had served a 12-year sentence for her involvement in the crimes against French and Mahaffy..The two teenage girl victims’ families told CBC, through their lawyer, the minister and the family being told nothing about the transfer was an “egregious abdication of responsibility” by the government..The CSC informed the victims' families about the transfer of Bernardo on the same day it took place, May 29..According to Mendicino's office, the staff did not shield Mendicino from the information. They explained that the public safety minister does not have authority over transfer decisions..CSC spokesman Kevin Antonucci said Bernardo was transferred due to a regular security classification review, which happens every two years. .The CSC said Bernardo is not a public safety risk and is now in a Quebec prison with a security perimeter similar to a maximum-security institution..While the CSC has defended Bernardo's privacy rights, Mendicino said the public has the right to know the reasons behind the transfer, especially now that it is public knowledge..A CSC three-person panel will review the decision to transfer Bernardo. This review process should take several weeks to complete.
