Lecture: The Persecution of Robert Latimer
An Unflinching Look at Canada's Most Prominent Case of 'Mercy Killing':
When Robert Latimer was charged in 1993 with the murder of his chronically ill daughter Tracy, it sparked a national debate about euthanasia and the rights of people with disabilities that continues today. Tracy’s death and the murder charge that was brought against her father were the start of Canada’s most famous case of mercy killing.
In his new book, Robert Latimer, Story of Justice and Mercy, Gary Bauslaugh writes about his experiences working with Latimer and helping him win a successful appeal of the extraordinary decision of the Parole Board of Canada to deny him day parole. While a large majority of Canadians have been sympathetic to Latimer, the initial Parole Board decision reflects the extreme hostility Latimer has encountered from a small but very vocal minority.
In his talk Bauslaugh will discuss some reasons for this, including arbitrary religious ones, and he will talk about the different ways in which the Canadian justice system failed in its handling of this hard case.
$5, $4 for students, FREE for CFI members
Speaker Bio
GARY BAUSLAUGH'S investigative writing has appeared in many publications, including The Skeptical Inquirer, The Vancouver Sun, and The Humanist. He was editor of Humanist Perspectives for five years and served as President of the Humanist Association of Canada. He was a teacher and an administrator in Canadian colleges and universities for many years. He lives in Duncan, BC.