Our legal system tolerates violence and then looks for justice

Our legal system tolerates violence and then looks for justice

Last week, I read this story in the news from CBC in Canada about a divorced man and his plot to kidnap someone who helped his wife:

  • a man broke into an abandoned farm house and built a confinement unit in the basement – a room that was no more than 4 metres  wide with chains hanging off the ceiling.
  • the court determined that he built it with the intention of kidnapping his ex-wife’s girl friend who provided support to his ex-wife during their bitter divorce. This man blames this woman for the breakdown of his marriage.
  • A construction crew discovered the confinement unit.
  • The man leaded guilty to a charge of break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence.
  • The court sentenced this man to 2 years in jail for repeatedly breaking into the farm house over an 18 month period of time

This man’s father said: “It took 15 years and three other people to put him where he is today. And I don’t want people to ever forget that.”

Because there was no kidnapping that actually happened, he could not be charged for that.  Mean while the women live in fear – because this man could be freed very soon because he already served 8 months in jail. With good behavior, we know 16 months can turn into much less. The police did not comment on how the women will be protected, they just said they were doing fine.

Seems like the law does not protect you until after we find you have been hurt or lying somewhere dead. And then the law will look for justice.

What is wrong with this picture? How come the law has such tolerance for violence?

For me, I’d rather be alive and well than to have a whole lot of people looking for justice or jailing someone after I am dead.