A woman convicted of first-degree murder in the death of an Ontario girl is living in an Indigenous healing lodge in Saskatchewan instead of prison.
Terri-Lynne McClintic was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2009 kidnapping, rape and killing of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford.
According to a report in the London Free Press, McClintic was moved to a facility near Maple Creek.
It’s minimum to medium security, offers more independent living and allows children to live with offenders in family units. The centre also offers spiritual and cultural training.
Tori Stafford’s family tells the newspaper they are outraged and that a rally is planned on Parliament Hill for November 2 to protest the transfer.
Indigenous advocate Sheila North said while McClintic should be getting all the healing and help she needs, she worries the healing lodge program would be blamed if she committed a crime in the future.
“It’s giving a taste that this is an easy way out of getting out of horrific crimes and that’s not the case, that’s not what they’re supposed to be and I think its characterizing Indigenous-led programs in a bad light.”
While North isn’t opposed to non-Indigenous people attending a healing lodge, Indigenous people should have priority, she said.
