Killer to get walks outside

The province apologized Friday for announcing, on the anniversary of Tim McLean's death, the conditions under which convicted killer Vince Li will receive escorted passes from the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Health Minister Theresa Oswald said she was sorry for the gaffe, while the Conservative Opposition said it was a sign the Selinger government was more concerned for Li than the feelings of McLean's family.

The family had just returned from a morning visit to McLean's grave Friday when it learned through the media the province had approved a security plan so Li could begin taking two 15-minute strolls on the grounds of the mental health centre. The passes, which are expected to begin in two months, were ordered by the Criminal Code Review Board in early June.

Amanda Corrigan, McLean's sister, said she didn't appreciate learning about the new security procedures from a Free Press reporter. The province should have given the family notice before the information was released to the media, she said.

"I just think it's in bad taste (the way the situation was handled)."

Li was found not criminally responsible last year for the July 30, 2008 beheading of 22-year-old McLean on a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie. He admitted responsibility for the attack but a judge found him to be suffering from hallucinations and untreated schizophrenia at the time, which left him unable to appreciate or control his actions.

But over the past two years, Li has made great progress, his doctors said earlier this year. They convinced the review board to authorize the escorted strolls, prompting a public uproar. Justice Minister Andrew Swan said at the time the province would bar Li from walking outside the centre's locked forensic unit "unless and until" new security measures were in place.

On Friday, the province issued a press release setting out those new measures -- before it dawned on the minister or her staff the timing couldn't have been worse. "If the timing of this information has caused one ounce (of) additional pain to the McLean family, I certainly want to offer my profound regret for that," Oswald said. She said the timing of the announcement was inadvertent.

"This is a family that has endured pain (which), thankfully, very few of us will ever know and that no family should ever know. And so if more information about the development of Mr. Li's treatment on this day or any day hurts that family further, I think we should all feel regret for that. And certainly I do."

Conservative justice critic Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach) said Oswald's apology, while welcome, speaks to the fact that "everything about this decision is driven toward Mr. Li, and there has not been any consideration (given) to the victim's family."

He said his party still believes Li should be taking his escorted walks in a secure area or be transferred to a more appropriate institution.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

Security measures to be followed when Vince Li strolls Selkirk Mental Health Centre's grounds

Two security officers with 40 hours of police tactical training as well as non-violent crisis intervention training and one clinical staff member will escort Li on his walks.

The walks will be restricted to periods when staffing at the centre is at its peak. The centre has hired two new full-time security officers, bringing its complement to 12. There is also a full-time security manager.

Li's treatment team will assess all risks before issuing each individual pass.

No pass privileges will be approved until all security measures are in place in about two months. For instance, the centre is still consulting security experts about how much distance guards should give Li while he is out on his strolls.

The centre recently installed $400,000 in security equipment upgrades, including more video surveillance and access controls throughout the property.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 31, 2010 A5