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To Whom
This May Concern,
March 22, 2000
My name is
Randall S. Turgeon, and I was a close friend of Darrin White's. I feel sad that he had to go to extreme measures to express
his disillusion of a system that treats parents with inequality when it comes to
parenting rights. I am appalled at the inhumane acts of our justice system, (or
injustice system).
I,
too, have been under a great deal of stress as a result of the lack of the
compassion of our Canadian government in dealing with the abduction of my son,
Christopher Leo Turgeon. He was abducted on December 18th 1999 by Lilia Martinez
Vazquez. He was taken to Mexico
under false pretences, and now the Canadian government wants to negotiate, in
way of the Haque Convention, to have my son returned. I feel there is no reason
for negotiation since he was, in fact, kidnapped.
I believe the
Canadian government should demand his immediate return before there is any
further psychological damage to my son. My understanding of situations similar
to mine, is that usually the abductor tells the child that the other parent is
dead or doesn't want anything to do with them. I feel the government is taking a
cowardly approach as to how they deal with these circumstances. Children should
no longer be used as pawns as they are in our court systems. We are dealing with
human lives, not commodities....
My father and
many other Canadians fought for the human rights of all citizens in the
First, Second and the Korean War. Now these very rights are being denied to our
own children by the Canadian government. I feel that we, as citizens, should
re-evaluate government policies. It is very clear
with the death of my friend that there is an inequality of rights where
fathers especially, are concerned.
I
have noticed , in talking to others of my situation, that the public seems to
think that my son is in no danger since it was his own mother that abducted him.
I totally disagree with this because, as stated previously, the psychological
damage being caused could be irreversible. This is clear case of abuse by a
parent.
As stated by
the then Honorable Ujjal Dosanjh, in the "Frontlines" Victim's
Services Division Report, issue #1, dated March 1996, " the govenment is
listening, and the Ministry of Attorney General and it's agencies are
acting." This refers to victims of crime and their families.
I would like to know , if the Attorney General office is listening to the
concerns of the victims, such as myself, and why I was
told by Gordon McPherson that this
"is a Federal matter." When in fact our Provincial government claims
to look after the interests of our children and victims of crime. I have been
dealing with Alison Burnett of the Attorney General's office, who is in charge
of the Hague Convention dealing with International Child Abduction. I was told
by her that I would need a lawyer here and one in Mexio in regards to my son's
abduction. Now I have been told by
the Provincial legal aid system that I'm not entitled to legal assistance due to
the fact I make too much money on Employment Insurance to qualify! I feel the
Canadian government is putting their responsibility on myself when in fact they
should be defending my son. The onus should not fall on the victims of the crime
to supply legal counsel..this is "another clear cut case of victims being
re-victimized by the justice system." Darrin
also felt victimized.
How many
children have to lose their rights to have both parents? Our justice system , as
it stands, creates the myth of "deadbeat dads"through the inadequacy
of our court systems to deal fairly with all concerned. " I divorced my
wife, not my child". My
question is "Why do parents have to pay to have the rights to parent their
own children?"
I believe it's
time the government stands behind it's policy of looking after
Children's rights instead of taking those very rights away from them.
Your sincerely,
R. S. Turgeon
Email: To
contact Randy Turgeon
member in good standing in the Parent and Child
Advocacy Coalition
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