Father of slain Granby girl granted statutory release from prison

The father of the Granby girl who was murdered in April 2019 has been granted statutory release after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

According to a Parole Board of Canada decision that was made public on Thursday, the man will be allowed to serve the rest of his sentence in the community as of May 7. 

The decision comes five months after he was granted day parole.

The 35-year-old father, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, was sentenced to four years in prison in January 2022 after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of forcible confinement. His sentence will end on July 6, 2025. 

At the time, the court heard that he had restrained his seven-year-old daughter at home on April 29, 2019 to prevent her from running away. The child's stepmother had tied her in duct tape in her father's absence. She died of asphyxiation the following day. 

According to the Parole Board decision dated April 29, the father is at a "low risk" to reoffend and was granted statutory release under several conditions "to protect society, victims and promote your social reintegration."

The restrictions include him being prohibited from being alone in the presence of someone under 16 without prior authorization, to report all relationships (sexual or non-sexual) to his parole supervisor, and no contact with the victims and their families, directly or indirectly, in order to "allow them a life of peace."

The father's levels of "accountability, motivation, and potential for social reintegration" were deemed to be "high," according to the decision. Just over a year ago, the Parole Board had rejected his request for day parole. 

Thursday's decision stated that a psychological risk assessment done in December 2022 had recommended that he continue to undergo psychological monitoring "in order to continue your personal journey and obtain the necessary support regarding the tensions inherent to your return to the community."

Under a statutory release, offenders can serve the end of their sentences in the community "to help them return to society as law-abiding citizens." Offenders who breach their conditions can be sent back to prison.

A jury in Trois-Rivières found the girl's stepmother — the father's former spouse — guilty of second-degree murder and forcible confinement in December 2021. She will have to spend at least 13 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.

The young girl's killing shocked the province. In the wake of the tragedy, the Quebec government set up the Laurent Commission to review the entire child-protection system.