The man accused of killing 10 pedestrians in Toronto in April 2018 has been sentenced to life in prison without the right to parole for 25 years. Judge Anne Molloy delivered her decision after a day of shocking testimony from family members of the victims of the attack.
The judge was awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on the sentence imposed on Alexandre Bissonnette, responsible for the attack at the Quebec mosque, before sentencing Alek Minassian. In May, the Supreme Court finally ruled unanimously that it was unconstitutional to impose periods of parole ineligibility consecutively.
In the hours following the sentencing, nieces, sisters, sons and friends shared the pain and anger that had plagued them for four years. With lumps in their throats, eyes filled with tears, the witnesses spoke for the first time in the presence of the accused, who was seated in a box behind his lawyers. “On the 25th anniversary of the attack, he may ask to be released, but that does not mean that he will be given the right,” said the judge, seeking to reassure the families.
Further details will follow.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.
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