鈥淭he Parole Board of Canada said they weren鈥檛 aware of any victims.鈥�

That was one of the damning statements shared by Laurie Wilson on the steps of the Penticton Courthouse at a walk for justice for Roxanne Louie, whose murderer recently received day parole after seven years into a life sentence.

Laurie and Dan Wilson spoke on behalf of Louie鈥檚 family and gave voice to the frustrations that the family and community feel over the handling of Louie鈥檚 murder at the hands of Grace Robotti.

The mother of Robotti鈥檚 great-grandchild, Louie, an Indigenous woman, was beaten to death with a crowbar and struck 26 times before her body was dumped on a Naramata forestry road while Robotti attempted to lie and cover up the crime.

A particular anger over the recent decision from the parole board was not only at a lack of notification that Robotti would be receiving day parole, but that she was up for receiving it in the first place. The first that the family, or the bands, heard about the decision was after the parole board鈥檚 decision and without a chance for anyone to provide submissions and impact statements.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not a government in their eyes, so we鈥檙e overlooked, and that鈥檚 repeated across Canada with every person in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Girls and Women [Report],鈥� said Wilson. 鈥淓verybody that we鈥檝e heard from has said the exact same thing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a systemic problem where they don鈥檛 let you get involved with these kinds of things because it just raises up too many things for the government to deal with.鈥�

The Wilsons were not alone in condemning the parole board鈥檚 recent decision. Among the crowd of more than 60 people were Chief Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band, Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and MLA Joan Phillip.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a total injustice in a series of injustices, the first; Pier (Robotti鈥檚 brother) got away with Roxanne鈥檚 demise,鈥� said Joan Phillip. 鈥淭he second injustice is what鈥檚 happening today. At the very least, the Nation ought to have been informed. The community ought to have been informed. The family ought to have been informed.

鈥淚 will do what I can, to ensure that we send a message to Canada: Enough is enough. We need justice for Roxanne.鈥�

Robotti was sentenced in 2017 for the murder, and for that received a life sentence with no eligibility for full parole until 2027. While her brother Pier received a 27-month sentence for his role. Despite that, she received escorted leave in a 2022 decision, and day parole in the recent December 2023 decision from the parole board.

鈥淥ur justice system is so damned flawed when they pass a sentence of a life sentence, it should be a life sentence not a sentence where you鈥檙e let go 10 years down the road,鈥� said Gabriel. 鈥淭he family has to live with this forever and ever. My heart goes out to the families that have to live with this and carry on without recognition from the parole board.鈥�

While the march was organized informally, a promise of more formal action to change the way the justice system has handled the situation was shared by the gathered chiefs.

鈥淲e always seem to show up here. Way too many times,鈥� said Chief Louie. 鈥淎fter this, we need to follow up with action, and we鈥檒l discuss that at our separate councils, and at the ONA (Okanagan Nation Alliance) table.鈥�

Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield also joined the march and was invited to speak by Stewart. He promised that the city would do what it could to support the family and to try and change the decision as much as it could.

At the end of the day, the decision by the parole board is being considered as the latest indignity given to the Indigenous community, in a series that began long before Louie鈥檚 murder and one that members continue to fight.

鈥淭here鈥檚 two generations there behind me, my mom fought for 30 years, so it鈥檚 a blow on an already wounded heart,鈥� said Wilson. 鈥淢y daughter is over there, and I like that she鈥檚 here but I hate that she has to be. There鈥檚 no reason for it.

鈥淲hat kind of due diligence is that they can just cut off an entire race of people from submission and participating in justice for such a horrible, horrible crime?鈥�

Wilson is currently preparing a petition to circulate through the community to be sent to the Parole Board of Canada and put on change.org to force a review of the decision to give Robotti day parole.