Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs is criticizing an Ontario court’s decision to reduce a violent sexual assault offender’s sentence, saying it puts his immigration status ahead of his victim.
Stubbs represents Lakeland, the federal riding that includes part of Lloydminster.
She posted her reaction Aug. 21 to an Edmonton Journal story, drawn from National Post reporting by Chris Lambie, on the sentencing of Sergio Reyes Loor.
“The justice system should put victims first,” said Stubbs.
Stubbs said the case shows a justice system giving violent offenders a break instead of holding them accountable for their actions.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts sentenced Reyes Loor, 31, to four years in prison for sexual assault causing bodily harm, according to the Journal’s reporting. The Crown had sought five years.
Roberts found Reyes Loor, an Ecuadorian permanent resident, assaulted a severely intoxicated woman at his Toronto apartment in April 2023, leaving her with lasting physical and psychological injuries. A publication ban protects the victim’s identity.
The judge wrote the conviction would have “devastating immigration consequences” for Reyes Loor, who faces deportation as a result, and reduced his sentence by one year to account for that.
Under Canadian immigration law, permanent residents sentenced to six months or more in prison face removal from Canada on grounds of serious criminality.
Stubbs said her party will keep pushing for a system that puts victims ahead of offenders’ immigration status.
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