Restrict bail for repeat sexual offenders
Petitioners ask the government to amend the Criminal Code to restrict bail and early release for repeat violent sexual offenders targeting children. The government responds that it introduced Bill C-14 to tighten bail and sentencing.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would reduce the chance that convicted repeat sexual offenders are released and reoffend, improving community safety, especially for children.
- Stricter bail and early-release rules focus legal tools on high‑risk cases, closing gaps that petitioners say allowed dangerous offenders back into communities.
- Parliamentary action such as Bill C-14 (noted by the government) indicates legislative changes are feasible; signing shows public support for tougher bail and sentencing measures.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- More restrictive bail and release rules can increase pretrial detention, raising concerns about individual liberty and court backlogs.
- Tighter release policies may strain correctional and supervision resources, potentially reducing effectiveness of rehabilitation and monitoring.
- Broad legal changes could be blunt instruments; critics may prefer targeted risk assessments, improved supervision, or rehabilitation over blanket restrictions.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS; On August 31st, 2025, a three year old girl in Welland, Ontario was violently sexually assaulted in her home by a 25 year old man who forced his way into her family's residence. Following the apprehension of the accused perpetrator, police charged him with aggravated sexual assault on a child, assault, assault by choking, breaking and entering a home and sexual interference with a child. Court documents show the perpetrator was previously convicted of sexual assault of a minor and ordered to register as a sex offender, but was released months early from his original sentence with few conditions. Under Canada's existing criminal justice system, offenders convicted of the most serious crimes who still pose a risk to our communities are being released and committing dangerous offences again, including targeting children. The Liberal government's criminal justice reforms have permitted crimes like this to occur due to increased leniency on bail, sentencing, and release conditions for violent offenders, including convicted child sex offenders. Since 2015, the Liberal government has facilitated appointments to the Parole Board of Canada which have both increased the rate of offenders serving their sentences on parole and reduced impartiality for the board. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada, to amend the Criminal Code to make bail and early releases more restrictive for repeat violent offenders of sexual offences and sexual offences against children to protect children and end the revolving door of justice for crimes targeting the most vulnerable Canadians.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Everyone deserves to live in a society where they feel safe. Protecting the safety and wellbeing of Canadians but especially children and vulnerable victims and survivors is a fundamental priority for this Government, as evidenced by our platform commitments to strengthen the criminal law to protect them from child-luring and other horrific crimes. On Thursday, October 23, 2025, our Government introduced Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, which is legislation to make bail laws stricter and toughen sentencing laws. Bill C-14 proposes over 80 clauses of targeted changes to the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) and the National Defence Act. This legislation is the result of extensive collaboration between the federal government, the provinces and territories, as well as law enforcement from across the country. The Bail and Sentencing Reform Act would strengthen community safety and increase confidence in the administration of justice by making bail harder to get in cases of repeat and violent offending and imposing a stronger sentencing framework. Under the proposed changes, new reverse onuses would be created for certain serious offences, including those involving assault and sexual assault with choking, suffocation or strangulation, meaning that the default position is detention, and the accused would need to demonstrate why they should be released on bail. The legislation would also direct police not to release an accused when doing so would be against the public interest or where detention is needed to protect victims or witnesses. Courts would be required to carefully assess the accused’s bail plan to ensure it is credible and reliable before granting release. In addition to these bail reforms, Bill C-14 would crack down on repeat and violent crimes by strengthening the provisions governing consecutive sentences for repeat violent offenders and making conditional sentence orders (also known as house arrest) unavailable for serious sexual offences,including those against children. Together, these measures represent a decisive step toward a justice system that better protects Canadians, supports victims, and holds offenders accountable.