U.S. sex offender claiming refugee status in Saskatchewan

[drriley]

I'm glad that someone mentioned (in the article below) what, I think, ANY reasonable person should/would think: It is incredible and unreasonable to think that a 16 year old boy was not a willing participant -- perhaps even more so when one sees the photo (link below) of the woman who was charged, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Barring some extenuating and egregious circumstances (none of which are mentioned) such as the boy was seriously mentally impaired, coerced or threatened or otherwise harmed, such a conviction and sentence should shock everyone. Even in the face of any extenuating circumstances, the sentence is outrageously disproportionate -- I mean, Hell! In many countries, Canada included, she could have had sex with the 16 year old AND murdered him, and likely received a SHORTER sentence (25 years with no chance of parole for 15, or something like that). Perhaps, in some cases, Canada's justice system is too lenient - although I'm not sure about that, as I'm not sure that "justice" is truly served by simply locking someone away for the rest of their natural life, especially if that person does reform, which is the basis of the "correctional system" in Canada and the U.S., among others.

U.S. sex offender claiming refugee status in Saskatchewan
From TheStar.com
April 14, 2011

Photo available at:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/a...n-saskatchewan

For the past year, residents of Pike Lake, Sask., have come to know Denise Harvey as just another neighbour, an ordinary woman in a tightly knit community.

But for residents of Vero Beach, Fla., Harvey is a fugitive, a sex offender and ? to many ? a victim of an unjust justice system.

Harvey, an American, fled to Canada with her husband last year after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for having sex with her son?s 16-year-old friend. But the system caught up with her last week, when she was arrested by RCMP in Pike Lake. She made an appearance before an Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator Monday and was released on a $5,000 bond.

She is claiming refugee status to avoid being forced back to Florida, arguing the 30-year-sentence she received was too severe.

Many others who have been following her case agree.

?She didn?t get any justice down here,? said Vero Beach flight trainer George Sigler, one of Harvey?s supporters.

In a town of 18.000 residents, Sigler gathered 2,000 signatures for a petition demanding the Florida governor give Harvey a pardon. Sigler says many people believe Harvey doesn?t deserve a jail sentence that should be reserved for killers.

?She?s a nice, soft-spoken woman who I believe made a mistake but that doesn?t mean she should go to jail for 30 years,? said Sigler. ?No one in their right mind believes a 16-year-old wasn?t a willing participant.?

Chris Veeman, a Saskatoon immigration lawyer now representing Harvey, said a 30-year jail sentence was too high and provides some merit for her claim that returning to the United States would be cruel and unusual.

She never testified at her trial in Florida and denied any wrongdoing. The age of consent in Florida is 18. In Canada, the age of consent is 16 years old although it is 18 if the two people are in a situation defined as a power dynamic such as teacher and student.

Veeman said Harvey and her husband entered the country through the border and one of the conditions of her release is that she has to continue living with her husband. The couple has returned to Pike Lake, about 20 minutes southwest of Saskatoon.

One resident of Vero Beach who wants Harvey returned to Florida is Ron Barnett of Barnett Bail Bonds, which posted a $150,000 bail for the convicted woman.

When Harvey failed to showed up to begin serving her prison sentence in late February, a warrant was issued for her arrest.

?The Canadian authorities are protecting her and I can?t see their logic in letting her go,? said Barnett. ?She skipped out on $150,000 bond and now she?s out on a $5,000 bond.?

In Pike Lake, one of the Harveys? neighbours, Donna Nagus, said the community wants to give the couple their privacy.

?I really want to protect their privacy so we?re not talking about them at all,? said Nagus. ?We don?t need a bunch of people gawking at their lawn.?

[DaddyHalbucks]

It would be great if jurisdictions standardized the age of consent.

[thecooze]

Unjust indeed.

[Shane_2ptoh]

niiiiiiiiice

[Phoenix]

eh...its so weird when its a girl

if it was a guy, he would have been shipped back by now for sure

[Tom_PM]

I remember a case from down there where an 18 yr old had consensual sex with his 17 yr old girlfriend, WITH the girls mothers permission! He was sentanced, served time, and is on the sex offenders list for life for having responsible, consensual sex.

I think 30 years is ridiculous, but it should not be replaced with zero either. Someone needs to put on their common sense hat in these cases.

[Vendzilla]

weird story, feel for the family. I doubt the boy wasn't willing

[Mutt]

time society stopped this little game of denial when it comes to teenagers and sex. shouldn't be a crime at all unless there's evidence it wasn't consensual and i do think that adults who are teachers/coaches/bosses should be held to a higher standard. But if some 15 year old boy or girl ends up fucking their friend's parent or meets some 30 year old or hell 70 year old somewhere and fucks them who cares. Let the parents deal with the kid if they're not happy their kid is fucking an adult.

[SDA CASH - Banned for Life AGAIN]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

eh...its so weird when its a girl

if it was a guy, he would have been shipped back by now for sure

Actually if she was really super hot like Debra Lafave , she would not get jail at all as well.

This nation has become very plastic and shallow. If you are hot, celeb you can get away with murder these days.

If Justin Bieber shot three people he would get maybe probation for anger issue's ha ha ha ha

[blackmonsters]

I will agree that she can go free if they let her son punch her in the face 16 times
for making him feel like shit by fucking his friends.

[Agent 488]

america dealt with rising inequality by increasing prison space and sentences.

this is just a symptom of that.

all fun and games until she gets gangbanged by the pike lake boys though.

[BlackCrayon]

Originally Posted by Mutt

time society stopped this little game of denial when it comes to teenagers and sex. shouldn't be a crime at all unless there's evidence it wasn't consensual and i do think that adults who are teachers/coaches/bosses should be held to a higher standard. But if some 15 year old boy or girl ends up fucking their friend's parent or meets some 30 year old or hell 70 year old somewhere and fucks them who cares. Let the parents deal with the kid if they're not happy their kid is fucking an adult.

its the idea that the adult must be taking advantage of the teens niavity towards sex. also, being older automatically puts them in a position of power over the teen. of course this is not always the case but you can't assume all teens know what they are getting into and aren't being 'sweet talked' by the adults.

[cordoba]

I agree that its barbaric that this woman is facing such a sentance, but I want to ask the OP - would you feel the same way if it was a man who had been caught banging a teenage girl?