A Conservative MP is demanding changes to the legal system following a disturbing case in Ontario involving the rape of a 13-year-old girl by a non-citizen. The accused, a 47-year-old resident of Bradford, pleaded guilty last week to multiple charges, including two counts of sexual interference and one count of child luring. The court heard that he met the girl at a convenience store, groomed her, and subsequently raped her, resulting in two pregnancies. The girl carried one of those pregnancies to term. Due to a publication ban, the identities of the girl and her child are protected.

The accused violated court orders to stay away from the girl and raped her again while on release. After breaching his release conditions for a third time, he was arrested and has been incarcerated for over two and a half years. During the proceedings, the court allowed him an adjournment to consider how a guilty plea might impact his immigration status. In Canada, non-citizens can be deemed inadmissible if convicted of a crime resulting in a jail sentence of more than six months.

The Crown is seeking a 10-year sentence, with the next court date set for January 29, 2026. Alberta Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner raised the issue during a question period on November 27, advocating for Bill C-220. This private member's bill aims to prevent courts from considering the immigration consequences of sentencing.

Rempel Garner criticized the leniency shown in this case, stating, "A senior Liberal MP debating my bill said, 'If someone is going out raping another individual, do we really believe they’ll get special treatment from a judge?' The next day, there was a story of a non-Canadian raping a 13-year-old girl and impregnating her twice, and the rapist was given an adjournment to see the impact of a guilty plea on what? His immigration status."

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux, who debated the bill, argued that not all bad decisions warrant deportation. He stated, "If someone is going out there and raping another individual, do we really believe that they are going to get special treatment from a judge?" Critics of the bill contend that it undermines judicial independence and discriminates against non-citizens who are trying to integrate into Canadian society.

In response to Rempel Garner's challenge about the Liberal stance, MP Ruby Sahota emphasized that provisions exist for removing non-citizens who commit crimes. She stated, "CBSA works on these cases and they prioritize criminal cases when making removals."

Rempel Garner has pointed out that there have been instances where judges issued lenient sentences to non-citizens to avoid deportation, creating what she describes as a "two-tiered justice system". She cited several examples, including a case involving a 20-year-old Indian man on a student visa who received a lighter sentence for voyeurism to evade deportation.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre expressed his support for Bill C-220, calling it an "unbelievable perversion of justice" that non-citizen criminals receive lesser sentences to remain in Canada. He stated, "If someone is not a citizen, not a Canadian, and commits a crime, then they should be shown the door."