One of Canada’s Most Notorious Sexual Predators Has Been Granted Day Parole

A former junior hockey coach who was convicted of molesting several of his players in the 1990s is now being granted day parole from his prison in Laval, Quebec.

Graham James, the disgraced Western Hockey League (WHL) coach who was originally convicted in 1997 on hundreds of counts of sexual abuse against a number of his players, was granted day parole today by a federal parole board in Quebec for a separate 2012 conviction.

James expressed some remorse at the hearing, but noted that he did not think what he was doing was wrong when he assaulted his victims. "I clearly didn't see their unhappiness," he said. "I think my life and the lives of many others would have been better had I not been a hockey coach."

Day parole allows offenders to leave their prison or halfway house for the day to work or participate in society, but requires them to return at night to check in. In many cases, day parole eventually turns into full parole if the offender remains on good behavior.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, James is to complete six hours of community service per week and cannot be in the vicinity of anyone under age 18, nor can he have authority over anyone under that age. The board said that it's too soon to grant James full parole.

James has been in and out of jail since his 1997 conviction. After serving a sentence for the original charges that he committed as coach of the Swift Current Broncos in Saskatchewan in the 1990s, he was released and pardoned by a parole board in 2007.

In 2009, James was living in Mexico when former Calgary Flames forward Theo Fleury published his autobiography, which included accusations that James had abused him while serving as Fleury's junior coach. James was later taken to court and convicted in 2012 for the assaults he committed against Fleury and his cousin while they were playing in the WHL. Fleury expressed outrage on Twitter following the decision today.

By granting day parole the Canadian justice system just kept more victims of rape silent and feeling more shame today!!!!! — Theo Fleury (@TheoFleury14)January 25, 2016

The allegations against James, which were made public by then-NHL player Sheldon Kennedy in 1996, shocked the Canadian hockey community and even prompted a change in the way in which the federal government grants pardons for past offenses.

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The decision follows last year's verdict in which James, having been brought to trial again on new sexual assault charges from 1990, was convicted and given another two years on top of his remaining five-year sentence. In a statement to the court, the victim, who was not be named, said, "Graham James did this to me."

"He violated my trust, took away my dreams, my motivation, my spirit, my soul, my dignity."

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