Justice?

[FakePlasticTrees]

Eight years in prison for torturing four-year-old girl

Crown had asked for 15-year sentence for Darcy Bannert


EDMONTON — An Edmonton man was sentenced to eight years in prison this morning for the torture and sexual assault of his girlfriend's four-year-old daughter.

Darcy Don Bannert, 26, was convicted earlier this year of sexually assaulting the girl, shackling her to furniture for his own amusement and unlawfully confining her in a dark basement, among other things.

He was given two-for-one credit for the time he has already served, and so will serve a total of five years and eight months in a federal penitentiary.

“This was not a momentary act, or an angry outburst of a parent who loses control because a child has misbehaved,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Darlene Acton said in an oral judgement.

“This was a systemic plan and an abusing, controlling pattern of behaviour ... . Mr. Bannert chose to engage in these criminal activities.

“There is no evidence before the court that he did not know or did not understand that his behaviour was wrong and unacceptable in our society.”

Acton said the court must send a very strong message to Canadians that people who perpetrate crimes against children face severe punishment.

Bannert showed no emotion. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit with the collar turned up to hide the big heart-shaped tattoo on his neck, he sat hunched in the prisoner’s dock, his eyes on the judge.

Crown prosecutor Shelley Bykewich had asked Acton to sentence Bannert to 15 years in prison, saying such a sentence would deter other predators and assure Canadians that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

"The punishment must fit the crime," she said during sentencing arguments on Monday. "In this case, Darcy Bannert has no one to blame for his actions but himself."

Defence lawyer Kent Teskey urged Acton to consider an eight-year sentence, which he said more accurately reflects the sentences handed down in comparable cases dealing with the physical and sexual abuse of children.

He also said Bannert was raised in a violent home, and was in and out of foster care for most of his teens.

"The tragic truth is that individuals like Mr. Bannert are products of a vicious cycle," he said Monday. "Abuse begets abuse."

Bannert's 22-year-old girlfriend, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, was convicted of assaulting her own daughter and causing a child to be in need of protective services.

She was sentenced in July to two years of strict 24-hour house arrest followed by one year of probation.

The little girl, who is about to turn six, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder, which is an inability to form normal emotional bonds with other people.

kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com


©Edmonton Journal 2007


http://www.canada.com/globaltv/edmonton/story.html?id=16e2f5ed-de25-4d11-8c94-1c0e034cfd7e&k=85429



In my humble opinion, I believe the justice system failed today.

Thoughts?

[big80smullet]

Definetly. I can't stand any person who would do those things to children, they should be locked away for life.

Unfortunately these days a life sentence is pretty short. Life in NZ is only 15 years.

[pooble]

you mean a life sentence isnt actually life?

i know nothing of this topic

[Hedgedive]

can't believe that's all he got :/

you mean a life sentence isnt actually life?

i know nothing of this topic

if it's with possibility for parole, then it's usually much shorter (don't really know much about Canadian law though).

[Reaganista]

so where's the 'sexual assault' come in

[Det_Nosnip]

Tsk tsk...you Canadians and your leniency! Here in the United States, he would have...

...probably gotten about the same. Unless he was in possession of illegal narcotics, at which point we probably would have crucified him. But, I digest...

I'd find it hard to believe that anyone could see this as justice. Product of his environment?! Please. For every "product of his environment," there's 10 honest people who recognized that they have the power to change their lives. This guy deserves a much harsher punishment.

[Hedgedive]

Not to mention the amount of emotional and mental problems he will have caused her.

it's pretty sick.

[FakePlasticTrees]

The child in this case is acting like an animal because of what that man did to her. The news is reporting that she hides under her bed and growls at whoever speaks with her. And she's especially hostile to the male caseworks, which is understandable.

I'll try to find a news link for more details.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Death penalty for all sexual crimes. Sexual crimes are crimes of habit, give the bastard the nine-gram treatment and it won't happen again.

[Reaganista]

he's probably innocent kids are liars

[Smokey D]

Death penalty for all sexual crimes. Sexual crimes are crimes of habit, give the bastard the nine-gram treatment and it won't happen again.

So apparently pedophiles brains are wired differently.

[PerpetualBurn]

Product of his environment?! Please. For every "product of his environment," there's 10 honest people who recognized that they have the power to change their lives. This guy deserves a much harsher punishment.

Then those 10 should get a different sentencing.

If this guy has serious mental issues then he should be taken away from where he can do harm (put in prison) and given therapy.

Asking for unnecessarily long prison sentences is a quest for vengeance, not justice.

[italic zero]

justice is stupid anyway

[ringworm]

hopefully, child molestors are treated the same in prison globally and he gets a tatoo on his forehead like that other guy, and 15 years will feel like 50

[Reaganista]

he didnt molest any children

[ringworm]

huh?

EDMONTON — Darcy Don Bannert was sentenced to eight years in prison today for the torture and repeated sexual abuse of a four-year-old girl who called him daddy.

[bobby__johnny]

granted the sentence may have been light....but even most criminals have morals when it comes to children. most i say.

i dont imagine he will have an enjoyable time with the other inmates while he's incarserated.

[Independent_CA]

How bout involuntary castration? I hear they've done that in Sweden to deal with sex offenders...

[Mr. Ron]

How bout involuntary castration? I hear they've done that in Sweden to deal with sex offenders...

I don't see how that would solve anything.

[ringworm]

How bout involuntary castration? I hear they've done that in Sweden to deal with sex offenders...
is that part of their glorified NHC program and high standard of living :p

[DBoons Ghost]

I'm too biased since I have a 4 year old daughter.

I say hang him by his balls for an hour, and then put him in jail for 8 years.

Though he would probably get less here in the US especially if he had no priors.

I have friends who've served 4 to 7 years for cold blooded murder, and no one killed anyone here, though that's argueable.

[Danish]

Wow this got reactionary fast!

[DBoons Ghost]

Leave it to me

;)

[Danish]

lol Not you, you're cynical ;)

[Reaganista]

in any sophisticated state in america he could probably get the case thrown out based on them dressing him in a jumpsuit in front of the jury that's incredibly prejudicial

huh?

he didn't molest any children

[Hedgedive]

I don't see how that would solve anything.

no pen0r = no raep

[Mr. Ron]

no pen0r = no raep

Not true.

[WhoDidTheElf]

You can orally rape some one.

[Knifeboy]

I don't see how a longer prison sentence would make much of a difference.


If it was possibly to castrate somone temporarily, I'd think that would be pretty awesome though.. Take away their "gear" for 10 years

[Mr. Ron]

I don't see how a longer prison sentence would make much of a difference.


If it was possibly to castrate somone temporarily, I'd think that would be pretty awesome though.. Take away their "gear" for 10 years

That won't do anything in most cases with true rapists though.

[Knifeboy]

Nah, I don't think it would make much of a difference either. But it would be a 1 up from a normal prison sentence

Imagine not being able to wank for 8 years! :0

[Mr. Ron]

Nah, I don't think it would make much of a difference either. But it would be a 1 up from a normal prison sentence

Imagine not being able to wank for 8 years! :0
Yeah, that would be hard, but its cruel and unusual punishment.

[WhoDidTheElf]

You'd still be able to jerk it and all, but just wouldn't have the drive right...? Doesn't your prostate make like most of your semen anyways?

[pooble]

I don't see how a longer prison sentence would make much of a difference.


If it was possibly to castrate somone temporarily, I'd think that would be pretty awesome though.. Take away their "gear" for 10 years

i dont know about that man, they might go on a rampage of rape as soon as they got it back. and that would be the headline too..

"rampage of rape strikes small US town"

[Smokey D]

Aren't there chemical castrations that effectively do that already?

[Reaganista]

who cares it's a completely stupid idea

[Smokey D]

By which I mean, don't they already do chemical castrations?

[Reaganista]

idk maybe in iran or kansas or something

[Independent_CA]

Chemically castrating someone basically takes away all the male hormones that they have. They don't really have sexual desires anymore among other things...

[Loser]

Shock collars triggered by dopamine in the brain would be kind of cool. Any time you have a semi-decent time, or even eat food, you get shocked.

Not for sex offenders specifically, just a cool thing.

[Danish]

Armchair psychologists!

[Ollie The Drumming Legend]

"Abuse begets abuse" is a really lame duck argument for giving someone a weak sentence for a horrific crime. I hate the way hard determinism is used imply a moral prejorative for giving a less harsh sentence in court. Judges are well educated - why do they fall for such things. This type of case makes me feel like going to the USA to do the good deed and give each judge a copy of David Hume's "An Enquiry on Human Understanding" (I believe that is the one dealing with free will and determinism, amonst other things).

Compare this with cases where parents have been given several years in prison for giving their teenage children small amounts of alcohol to drink in a private and supervised environment. e.g. http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,9294,2-10-1462_2128844,00.html

Some things are retarded. This being one of them. It is what happens when you get judges and lawmakers (often strong Christains I am sad to point out) who have very strong inclinations to use sentencing as a tool for moralising.

[WhoDidTheElf]

This was in Canada btw...

[Ollie The Drumming Legend]

lol, my bad. Either way, it's still fair point I think, about sentencing being way of the mark in numerous cases, regardless of the country.

[WhoDidTheElf]

Yeah I can agree, the guy got off easy, he should have got a much harsher sentence for ****ing this girl up for life.

[Reaganista]

who says she's ****ed up for life

Armchair psychologists!

i think most psychologists have armchairs

[WhoDidTheElf]

who says she isn't?

[Reaganista]

that's not an argument

[WhoDidTheElf]

Common sense says she'd be traumatized from the event and the news article says things about it.

[Reaganista]

you mean common misogyny says we think she should be traumatized
but that doesn't say anything about her

[WhoDidTheElf]

post evidence that's she's fine plz.

[Reaganista]

strawman
you have to post evidence that she's ****ed up for life

[WhoDidTheElf]

The little girl, who is about to turn six, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder, which is an inability to form normal emotional bonds with other people.

...

[Reaganista]

that says nothing about her life she could be over it in a week
she'll only continue to be traumatized if misogynists continue to spread word about what happened to her and try to treat her as though she's damaged

[WhoDidTheElf]

you know as well as I do that you just don't get over being tortured as a child. People from the Gulf War still have PTSD. And it doesn't say any thing about her getting over it, so the presumption is that it's going to be a life long thing.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

So apparently pedophiles brains are wired differently.

I don't believe that anyone ever changes for the better. Life experience affirms this view. Sexual crimes seem to be crimes of habit (child molester rack up dozens of offences etc). If they are crimes of habit, then the only way to protect society from the habitual criminal is to permanently remove said criminal. Rather than paying for the criminal to survive (life in gaol), and given that slave labour is frowned upon, execution seems logical to me.

[Reaganista]

you know as well as I do that you just don't get over being tortured as a child.
i agree
in that neither of us know at all
People from the Gulf War still have PTSD.
um ya and plenty of people who have been mistreated as kids dont

And it doesn't say any thing about her getting over it, so the presumption is that it's going to be a life long thing.
that's the craziest assumption ever

[lfantwister]

I don't believe that anyone ever changes for the better.
dude thats crazy

[Akira]

I don't believe that anyone ever changes for the better. Life experience affirms this view. Sexual crimes seem to be crimes of habit (child molester rack up dozens of offences etc). If they are crimes of habit, then the only way to protect society from the habitual criminal is to permanently remove said criminal. Rather than paying for the criminal to survive (life in gaol), and given that slave labour is frowned upon, execution seems logical to me.

A lot of studies have shown execution to be much more expensive than life imprisonment because of how long and drawn out the trial and subsequent appeals are.

[ThePinkPanther]

Compare this with cases where parents have been given several years in prison for giving their teenage children small amounts of alcohol to drink in a private and supervised environment. e.g. http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,9294,2-10-1462_2128844,00.html

um 350 dollars worth of beer is considerably more than small amounts

[Reaganista]

it comes out to less than $12 per kid

[Akira]

um 350 dollars worth of beer is considerably more than small amounts

Or, more relevantly, they gave alcohol to children who were not their own as well.

[recklessrick]

Why is it the media always tries to make opinion in favour of the criminal and never the victim?

[Reaganista]

because the victims deserve it and the 'criminals' are falsely accused

[ThePinkPanther]

it comes out to less than $12 per kid

a 6 pack of bud light is 5 dollars (well like 6 with taxes)

thats about 12 beers per kid.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

LOL light beer.

People always talk hypothetically "if you had a gay kid, would you still love them", "if you knew your fetus baby would come out a retard, would you abort" etc etc. But I swear to God, if I ever catch one of my kids drinking light beer, I will beat them for weeks on end and then disown them.

[Danger Bird]

I don't know if any amount of time will make him stop being a pervert, so who cares? He's still going to get out and I don't think 8 years will have much more of an effect on him than 15.

Why is it the media always tries to make opinion in favour of the criminal and never the victim?

Did you even read the article on the first page?

[Danish]

LOL light beer.

People always talk hypothetically "if you had a gay kid, would you still love them", "if you knew your fetus baby would come out a retard, would you abort" etc etc. But I swear to God, if I ever catch one of my kids drinking light beer, I will beat them for weeks on end and then disown them.

Yea, better teach them to be all tough and macho...

[ThePinkPanther]

LOL light beer.

People always talk hypothetically "if you had a gay kid, would you still love them", "if you knew your fetus baby would come out a retard, would you abort" etc etc. But I swear to God, if I ever catch one of my kids drinking light beer, I will beat them for weeks on end and then disown them.

its not that i prefer light beer, which i dont, its just i know the price of bud light for a fact because im a cashier and people buy it all the time. I think regular Budweiser is the same price.

[Dave de Sylvia]

a 6 pack of bud light is 5 dollars (well like 6 with taxes)

thats about 12 beers per kid.
No, that's about one beer per kid.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Yea, better teach them to be all tough and macho...

I see nothing wrong with encouraging toughness and masculinity.

[Smokey D]

That's because you're a cliche.

But you seem to be okay with this, so it's alright.

[AlienEater]

I don't know if any amount of time will make him stop being a pervert, so who cares? He's still going to get out and I don't think 8 years will have much more of an effect on him than 15.

why bother with gaol at all? why not just let him go free; he'll still be a pervert in 8 years so what's the point? WHAT IS THE POINT POINT POOOINT PPPOINTPONITPOOOT

WHY don't WE LET EvERYONE GO FREE SO THEY CAN TORTURE and abuse CHILDREN ALL THEY WANT

[AlienEater]

i am sorry

[RIP Ian Curtis]

That's because you're a cliche.

But you seem to be okay with this, so it's alright.

In all seriousness, whats wrong with encouraging a male child to be masculine?

[Dave de Sylvia]

Macho and masculine are different things.

[Smokey D]

In all seriousness, whats wrong with encouraging a male child to be masculine?

What is masculine?

[Danish]

I see nothing wrong with encouraging toughness and masculinity.

Yea, unless your son isn't that sort of person. I'm not, and the pressure to conform to the "tough guise" has left me with mental illness.

So there is something wrong with it. Also, you're son would be like 90% more likely to be a prick.

[Danish]

What is masculine?

Oh how glad I am you asked this.

We need to apply a feminist analysis to studying masculinity.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Man, I don't care if he's an actor or gay or whatever. Just as long as he isn't a whiny little bit'ch, suffering from whatever hip internet disease is going around, wearing spray-on emo jeans and writing bad poetry.

[Danish]

"whiny little bit'ch"

What do you mean by this?

[RIP Ian Curtis]

The first and foremost rule of masculinity is emotional repression. I don't have any respect for people who run off crying to the counsellor/shrink/therapist/nerdy "friendzoned" guy who wants to fu'ck them at the drop of a hat. I don't have any respect for men who cry over nothing. Basically take every stereotype of "kids these days", and you're pretty close to what I hate.

[Danish]

Why should we have to repress our emotions? It's very unhealthy and unpleasant. It causes mental illness and leads to suicide.

And for someone like me that is emotional, it's people with attitudes like you that made my life hell for like 12 years. I now suffer with depression.

[Dave de Sylvia]

The first and foremost rule of masculinity is emotional repression. I don't have any respect for people who run off crying to the counsellor/shrink/therapist/nerdy "friendzoned" guy who wants to fu'ck them at the drop of a hat. I don't have any respect for men who cry over nothing. Basically take every stereotype of "kids these days", and you're pretty close to what I hate.
You are such a cartoon.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Man, I've got my piece of paper that says "depression" on it from the shrink. Being macho and posturing helps me get through it all. Same as being punk got me through high school.

[Danish]

Man, I've got my piece of paper that says "depression" on it from the shrink. Being macho and posturing helps me get through it all. Same as being punk got me through high school.

It also stops you from getting better. The best way to beat depression is medication combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

I don't want to get better. Sadness, anger, hate, all that stuff, that gives you edge. Fu'ck the prozaced masses.

[Dave de Sylvia]

Man, I've got my piece of paper that says "depression" on it from the shrink. Being macho and posturing helps me get through it all. Same as being punk got me through high school.
What works for you doesn't work for everyone.

I don't want to get better. Sadness, anger, hate, all that stuff, that gives you edge. Fu'ck the prozaced masses.
hahaha you are so stereotypical

Ironic since you complain about people fitting other stereotypes

[RIP Ian Curtis]

My stereotype is funnier, and more enjoyable for me.

[Dave de Sylvia]

Your stereotype is depressing.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Why does it depress you?

[Dave de Sylvia]

Because it's completely superficial and egotistical.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Welcome to life.

No matter who you are, where you go or what you do, you WILL be stereotyped, by everybody around you. At least I picked mine.

[Danish]

You should try taking the tough guise off sometime. It feels liberating.

[Dave de Sylvia]

Welcome to life.

No matter who you are, where you go or what you do, you WILL be stereotyped, by everybody around you. At least I picked mine.
Maybe, but I don't care what people pigeonhole me as. You seem unduly troubled by it.

[Reaganista]

grr im super tough i drink and fight !!!!

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Maybe, but I don't care what people pigeonhole me as. You seem unduly troubled by it.

I like to have a measure of control over my life. All anyone will ever care about is image, thus control your image, control your life.

[pedro durruti]

Your image has nothing to do with your life

[Dave de Sylvia]

I like to have a measure of control over my life. All anyone will ever care about is image, thus control your image, control your life.
All you care about is image.

[GreyHam]

its funny how easy it is to act hard on the internet...

[DBoons Ghost]

its funny how easy it is to act hard on the internet...

I don't think RIP is acting hard on the internet.

Though I will say that I respect his stance and I understand it, but I can say from experience the sooner you get off that the easier your life will be.

It doesn't help to keep it all in. Unless you're still in the mode of wanting to die young thinking it cool.

[ringworm]

A lot of studies have shown execution to be much more expensive than life imprisonment because of how long and drawn out the trial and subsequent appeals are.
thats why Texas has an express lane for executions :p