The Parole Board of Canada and Reena Virk鈥檚 killer agree 鈥� Kelly Ellard, who changed her name to Kerry Sim, is not ready for full parole.
A decision released Thursday (May 12) outlines that Sim waived her right to a hearing saying 鈥渟ituationally I鈥檓 not ready鈥� and did not apply for full parole or provide a release plan. However, the board was required to do a review.
Sim, now 39, was among a group of mostly girls who swarmed and killed 14-year-old Virk under the Craigflower Bridge in Saanich on Nov. 14, 1997. The Saanich girl鈥檚 body was discovered eight days later farther up the Gorge Waterway.
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In November 2017, the board granted Sim day parole, which has continued at regular intervals since. Notable progress earned her expanded leave privileges with two nights at a community residential facility and five nights at her home.
鈥淗owever, over the last two years, there were changes in your personal life and the stress of motherhood and maintaining a household began impacting you. Your intimate partner lost his job and you were experiencing financial problems,鈥� the parole decision reads.
Her day parole was suspended in August 2021 for failing to report domestic violence with the suspension cancelled in late October 2021. Sim鈥檚 day parole was again extended in March.
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The board referenced Sim鈥檚 willingness to engage in extreme violence and history of aggressive and assaultive behaviour and that she鈥檚 been assessed as moderate to high-moderate risk to re-offend.
The decision notes Sim is engaged in her correctional plan, working collaboratively with her case management team and appears motivated to regain the trust of that team. She continues to require the structure, support and supervision of a community residential facility and has yet to consistently show capacity to manage her own risk, the decision reads.
鈥淭o your credit, you readily acknowledge you are not ready for a more expanded form of release at this time. As a result, the board concludes your risk on full parole is undue and full parole is denied.鈥�
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