SASKATOON (Staff) – The Wilkie, Sask. farmer convicted of killing his severely disabled daughter will be able to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
The court announced last week that it would hear evidence on the Robert Latimer case, likely this fall. The legal point the judges will examine involves the admissibility of the confession that Latimer gave to police before he was charged.
The province is already looking at the possibility of a new trial because of possible jury tampering. The crown prosecutor in the case had asked police to question prospective jurors about mercy killing.
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Latimer received a life sentence with no parole for 10 years for placing his 12-year-old daughter in a truck and asphyxiating her with carbon monoxide. He said he killed his daughter because he did not want to see her in pain any more from her severe cerebral palsy that caused seizures.
Mercy killing debate
The 1994 case caused a national debate about mercy killing and the rights of disabled and the severity of mandatory sentences. A petition was presented to Parliament asking for Latimer’s pardon.
After his conviction, Latimer was released and restricted to his farm area until the court appeal is concluded.
