By now many residents of North Perth have heard a high-risk offender has moved to Listowel.
Press releases issued on cases such as this usually provide the facts and technical titles necessary for a news story. But should one dig only a little further, the story of Harrow native Robert Joseph Van Braeckel gets scary ugly.
Van Braeckel has a lengthy history of violent crimes, including brutal sexual assaults on two women in southern Ontario.
These despicable offences are in addition to convictions of assault, weapons possession, assaulting police, theft and a slew of driving offences already on Van Braeckel’s resume. In total, he’s acquired more than 20 convictions since 1980.
Not only that, but Van Braeckel’s prison records indicate dozens instances of misconduct while doing time. In 2007, a Superior Court judge noted Van Braeckel tends to assume no responsibility for his actions, but would rather blame others.
This man has now made Listowel his place of residence. No wonder the public is concerned.
So how did he manage to get out on probation?
Good question. As it stands, Van Braeckel is a high-risk offender. A high-risk individual is defined as a person about whom there is reasonable fear they pose a risk of harm to the public.
“Public” suddenly becomes much more personal when it refers to those in your family, your own neighbourhood or town.
Only six inspectors in the province can designate someone a high-risk offender. As a high-risk offender, Van Braeckel is subject to a lengthy list of strict probation conditions. He can’t drink, do drugs, have weapons or associate with any of the victims, among other things. He needs to meet these conditions, and report to the OPP and his parole officers, consistently until May 27, 2013.
In the meantime, why choose Listowel of all places to live?
It seems it would make more sense for Van Braeckel to move to a larger, urban area. There he wouldn’t be so recognizable and he would be subject to less scrutiny by the public.
Unless perhaps, authorities hope the watchful eye of a small community such as this will help keep Van Braeckel on the straight and narrow.
Officers involved with Van Braeckel’s case are optimistic he will complete his probation successfully and reintegrate himself back into society. You have to give these officers credit for that much, as working in the police force could deplete their optimism at a rapid pace.
It’s great to hope violent convicts can turn their lives around and become contributing members of society. Admittedly, some have been successful.
But let’s get real.
The odds of Van Braeckel coming out of his probation a changed man are slim. He has spent most of his life breaking the law and endangering others. We can’t blame area residents one bit for not being too quick to give the guy a chance.
This is a community of families, children and women. Van Braeckel has even victimized at least one police officer.
It’s unclear at this point why he’s decided to relocate to Listowel. It’s frightening and infuriating to think your safety may be compromised because of one individual.
If nothing else, the community can be assured Van Braeckel will be monitored — closely. This is a tight-knit area of residents who look out for each other. The police are well informed of the situation and take their role of protecting the public seriously.
This is why it’s all the more important to be aware. The public is encouraged to report anything suspicious or any parole violations to the police immediately, and they should do so. A close eye on things can only help ensure Van Braeckel adheres to his conditions, which is best for everyone.