Department of Justice

CROWN SEEKS LEAVE TO APPEAL KLASSEN SENTENCE

OTTAWA, September 19, 1997 -- Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada, announced today that the Department of Justice will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to review the appropriateness of the sentence given to Ralph Klassen.

Klassen was found guilty of manslaughter in the 1995 strangulation death of his wife, Susan, in the Yukon. The Crown sought an eight-to-ten-year sentence for manslaughter, but the defense argued in favour of a three-to-five-year sentence. The Court sentenced Klassen to five years in prison. A previous appeal by the Crown was dismissed by the Yukon Court of Appeal in June of 1997.

"We continue to be concerned about cases like this one and what they mean to other cases of spousal abuse," said Mrs. McLellan. "It is for this reason that we are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to review the sentence."

The motion to seek leave to appeal the sentence will be filed by Sept. 26.

Ref.:   Pierre Gratton       Bill Corbett 
        Minister's Office    Department of Justice 
        (613) 992-4621       (613) 957-4765