Posted on 12/19/2002 5:32:41 AM PST by Clive
The document that details the thought process that released two-time child rapist Yohannes Mehari Mircha from detention doesn't say whether the creep smiled, but you can almost see his smirk when you read to the end of the nine-page summary.
The document in question is the transcript of the summary of the Immigration and Refugee Board detention review hearing of Mircha -- the repeat rapist I've been writing about -- who was ordered deported from Canada six years ago but is still here and walking free -- somewhere.
I wish I could tell you with certainty where he's living but, because of Canada's privacy laws, his whereabouts are protected. I can only tell you one source tells me he's in Vancouver, another says he's in Winnipeg and a woman yesterday swears she caught a ride with him in his cab right here in Calgary.
The hearing took place after Mircha was released from Bowden Institution, where he served four years of his six- year sentence for the forcible confinement, sodomy and rape of two 15-year-old Calgary girls back in 1995 and 1996. What's most galling about this case is that Mircha, 40, was released on $750 bail after he was arrested for raping his first victim on July 12, 1995, even though the entire eight hour rape of the semi-conscious girl, whom I call Susan, was videotaped.
Seven months later, while out on bail, he did it again to another 15- year-old girl, and now he's free again.
After Mircha was released from Bowden, he was taken into custody by immigration and held at the Calgary Remand Centre until Nov. 18, 1999.
The adjudicator, Paul Kyba, presided. A female lawyer by the name of D. Mikaelsson represented the minister of Immigration and recommended that Mircha be detained until deported, but amazingly, Kyba disagreed.
He listened to and clearly believed Mircha's syrupy plea. He read psychiatric prison reports that apparently said Mircha was a low risk to reoffend and then he let Mircha go.
This despite Mikaelsson pointing out that Mircha was not helpful.
"As you know, sir, up until very recently Mr. Mircha has been very unco-operative and we have been dealing with the Ethiopian government since May of '98 to get a travel document and to this point no avail."
Mikaelsson mentioned that since the state of Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Ethiopia now requires returning nationals to prove they didn't vote for independence.
"It is my understanding the Eritreans will not accept him back. Because as far as they're concerned he did not vote in the referendum. And of course, the Ethiopians will not accept the word of the Eritreans. So, sir, it's kind of a circle we go round and round in."
Then came Mircha's sob story, in his own words.
"Your Honour, I am willing and I am ready to be deport (sic) to either Ethiopia, Eritrea, or even to any other country," said Mircha, who just one month earlier refused to help immigration officials at all. No red flags at all for Kyba on that.
"I am ready to be deported and I do not wish to suffer any more. I have been in federal prison for four years and in addition, I am now in the Remand Centre, locked in a cell for almost 20 hours a day for the past 40 days. It's destroying me psychologically, emotionally and physically."
Most people -- certainly most of the people from where Mircha hails from -- would consider four years in a cushy Canadian prison pretty light punishment for the rape and sodomy of two 15-year-old girls. But not Mircha. No, he's suffered so much, he's "destroyed."
Susan says she was shocked when initially Mircha was sentenced to just four years for her rape alone and eight in total. She felt "raped again" when his sentence was reduced by the Alberta Court of Appeal to six years, and then he was freed after just four.
"It's devastating to think my government thinks what he did to me is worth only two years," says Susan, 24.
"What he did to me still causes me so much pain. His punishment is a joke."
Yeah, and my guess is Mircha finds it pretty funny.
No danger from rapist, say officials
Living a nightmare - Child rapist's second victim outraged he's still in Canada
Yeah, like it couldn't happen here.
I understand. I guess I feel especially "glass house" sensitive at the moment because of our own embarrassing INS.
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