A B.C. judge has ordered a 60-day psychiatric assessment to determine whether or not child abductor Randall Hopley should be declared a dangerous or long-term offender.
Hopley has pleaded guilty to abducting three year old Kienan Hebert from his Sparwood home last fall, as well as breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offense. After an initial sentencing hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in Cranbrook held July 18th and 19th, Justice Heather Holmes announced when court reconvened on Thursday, August 9th, she would be ordering a 60-day assessment before deciding Hopley’s fate.
Hopley has been remanded into the custody of the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission for 60 days and will most likely be sent to Port Coquitlam’s Forensic Psychiatry Hospital. If after his assessment Justice Holmes declares Hopley a dangerous offender he could be sent to prison indefinitely.
Dangerous offender status is the toughest punishment under Canadian law and in the past has been used only for the country’s most dangerous and violent criminals. If Hopley is determined to be a long-term offender he would be given a set prison term, however he would continue to be monitored either for 10 years after completing his time behind bars, or for the remainder of his life.
Hopley had also been released from prison for attempting to abduct a ten-year-old boy. He has since stated he was not satisfied with the way the RCMP, the judge, and his lawyer handled the previous conviction and that he proceeded to abduct Kienan in 2011 in an effort to get even with the justice system.
Although the Hebert family has not filed a victim impact statement and the Crown has not determined that severe psychological damage was done to Kienan and his family, Justice Holmes believes had the same situation happened to a different family it might be a different story. “Mr. Hopley was lucky in his choice of victims,” said Holmes. “The family was able to cope and move forward.”
After court had wrapped up on August 9th, prosecutor Lynal Doerksen stated, “It is an unusual case. The facts are very unique.” He went on to explain, “Despite the fact there was no physical harm caused here or serious psychological damage, nonetheless this is the kind of case that normally would cause that kind of harm and damage.”
Hopley will appear in front of Justice Holmes once more via video on October 15th to set a date for a dangerous offender hearing. If at that time his psychiatric assessment isn’t complete, the date will most likely be pushed back another month.
