So Conservative Blake Richards Isn't so Tough on Crime After all

For all his blather about being tough on Crime, Conservative Blake Richards has proven that he's only tough on some crime, or at least on some criminals.

Richards is one of the men our local Conservative candidate, Brian Abrams, had abuse taxpayer money to distribute partisan attack ads in Kingston, Ontario. (And Abrams wants to be our Member of Parliament????? Yikes!!!!!)

But Richards is the MP for Wild Rose, Alberta, a safe Reform Party seat, so he doesn't really need to campaign. Although, at least one of his constituents wasn't too pleased to be getting his taxpayer funded 'fluff'.

However, back to Blake and his 'huffin' and puffin' ... criminals will pay' nonsense.

When Alberta Mountie, Guy Armand Raes, admitted to sexually assaulting a teenage girl, many residents felt he got off too lightly. His original sentence was for only eight months, but later he was able to serve just 90 days, and then just on weekends. In fact he was even able to still receive a medal for bravery, despite the conviction.

Jail urged for Mountie who fondled girl
By KEVIN MARTIN
The Calgary Sun

AIRDRIE -- Sexually abusing a wayward teen he took under his wing should land a disgraced Mountie a 90-day jail term, a prosecutor said yesterday. But the lawyer for Const. Guy Armand Raes said his client has already suffered public humiliation and lost career, and doesn't need to be thrown behind bars as well.

Defence counsel Willie de Wit said Raes, a 22-year RCMP veteran, will be forced to resign from the force after pleading guilty to sexual assault. Raes, 51, admitted fondling the breasts of a 17-year-old girl he had been helping get back on the straight and narrow for two years and to whom he had become a father figure. (Oh my gawd! Fondling her breasts makes him a 'father figure'. Is he nuts?)

Crown prosecutor Craig Krieger said despite Raes' efforts to assist the girl his sexual advances on her breached a trust relationship and warranted a severe punishment.

"We acknowledge the accused, especially going into what turned out to be the relationship, did not go into it to specifically exploit this girl, or harm her," Krieger said. "But over time he crossed the line," he told provincial court Judge Barb Veldhuis. Krieger pointed to a series of text messages between Raes and the teen, who can't be identified, to illustrate how he went too far in his job as a police officer attempting to assist a youth in trouble.

He noted in one exchange Raes talked about the two being "soul mates."

Krieger said Raes' good work at getting the girl, whom he first met when she was 15, off drugs and alcohol made his violation of her all the more damaging. "There's no doubt he made a positive difference to this girl's life," he said. "That's probably why it hurt so much when he breached the trust."

Raes, who was under warning from his superiors not to have off duty contact with youths whom he had encountered through work, arranged to meet the girl late in the evening of Feb. 12, 2007. They then drove to an isolated location where he fondled her naked breasts.

De Wit said the decorated officer, who was awarded the governor general's Star of Courage for pulling a young couple out of a fire, never set out to have a sexual relationship with the teen.

One of Blake Richard's constituents was upset by the light sentence so turned to the man who vowed to protect children from sexual abuse and get tough on crime. But of course, Richards ignored the complaint, not surprising after calling the RCMP watchdog a mere 'paper pusher'


Another Mountie Charged with Sexual Assault

"... about Guy Raes, I was just wondering if you did hear about what he got. He did not get the 8 months.. instead they decided to give him a sentince (sic) of 90 day in jail to only be spent on weekends.. I thought that 8 months was a joke. I even wrote a letter to our MP Blake Richards asking him to make sure the crown would appeal this sentice (sic) but do you think he would reply. On top of that he has the nerve to be in the paper and talking about our justice system and how they need to make sure people get the time for the crimes they commit. ...I cannot believe that Canada does not have the guts to put people behind bars, instead they get a slap on the wrist!

The law should be the same for everyone and I'm surprised that Mr. Richards did not at least respond.

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