The sentencing of the three individuals responsible for the deaths of Arnold and Joanne De Jong has been postponed to the new year due to a judge’s decision that the statutory limitations on early parole violate the murderers’ rights under the Charter. Joanne’s sister, Helen Leusink, expressed frustration over the delay, likening it to a never-ending situation. Khushveer Toor, Abhijeet Singh, and Gurkaran Singh, all in their twenties, are facing mandatory life imprisonment for the killings at the De Jongs’ residence in Abbotsford in May 2022.
The defendants’ legal representatives raised a Charter challenge last month concerning the “faint hope” provision in the Criminal Code, which enables convicted murderers to seek early parole after 15 years instead of the standard 25 years. This section of the law was initially altered by the Conservative government under Stephen Harper in 2011 to nullify its effects on certain cases, including those involving multiple murders committed after January 9, 1997.
Justice Brenda Brown ruled that the 25-year parole ineligibility stipulation in the Criminal Code violates the Charter’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Crown co-counsel Dorothy Tsui indicated that the judge’s rationale for the ruling will be disclosed in November. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the defendants are still facing life imprisonment, and the central issue revolves around the possibility of seeking parole after 15 years. The sentencing hearing has now been rescheduled for February 2027.