Police to provide update on investigation into stabbing inside Edmonton Sikh temple

Police to provide update on investigation into stabbing inside Edmonton Sikh temple

Accused was granted statutory release from federal prison day before attack

Nearly three weeks since two men were stabbed inside a Sikh temple in Edmonton, police are set to provide an update on the case.

Edmonton police are expected to hold a news conference Thursday afternoon to provide an update on the criminal investigation against the 27-year-old man allegedly responsible for the Aug. 21, daytime attack. The news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT.

Police have said charges are pending against the suspect, who has not been named.

Police said the accused, who had been released from a federal prison the day before, entered the Nanaksar Gurdwara during morning prayers and attacked a priest and worshipper.

The men, aged 51 and 75, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the attacker was wrestled to the ground by temple attendees and arrested by patrol officers.

Stabbing at Edmonton Sikh temple leaves 2 injured, man in custody

The violent incident inside the sprawling temple on the northeastern outskirts of the city has prompted widespread condemnation from political leaders and Sikh community advocates and raised questions about the release of federal offenders who may pose a risk to public safety.

Sikh communities have documented a rise in recent discriminatory threats and attacks and Edmonton police said they would investigate if hate against Sikh people in Canada was a motive in the assault.

2 injured in stabbing attack at Edmonton Sikh temple

During a news conference on Aug. 21, Edmonton police said the suspect had a “significant” history of violent crime dating back more than a decade.

The accused had just served a sentence for aggravated assault and assault on a peace officer. He was released from a correctional institution outside the Edmonton region and failed to report a halfway house in Edmonton as required, police said.

Investigators said they could not identify the man until the new charges against him were officially sworn before the courts.

According to a statement from Edmonton police issued last week, the suspect was held in custody these past weeks on a warrant issued for his failure to report to his designated Edmonton halfway house in the hours before the attack.

Statutory release 'not a choice'

In her statement condemning the attack last month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the stabbings should serve as a reminder of the need for federal bail and parole reform.

In a statement to CBC News on Aug. 24, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) stated that the suspect had been discharged from custody on statutory release— a policy which means federal officials have little leeway over his removal from custody.

“Statutory release is not a choice or discretionary decision by CSC — it is required by law after an offender serves two-thirds of a fixed-length federal sentence, with the offender being supervised in the community under conditional release,” the statement reads.

Statutory release requires the Correctional Service of Canada to release most federal prisoners into the community under supervision.

Unlike day and full parole, statutory release is not subject to decisions by the Parole Board of Canada but inmates released under the federal policy are required to report regularly to a parole officer and remain subject to conditions.

Most offenders qualify, with the exception of those serving a life sentence or an indeterminate sentence because of a dangerous offender designation issued by the court.

CSC can only ask the Parole Board to detain an offender past this point if there are strong reasons to believe they will commit a violent crime before their sentence ends.

Michael Spratt, an Ottawa-based criminal defence lawyer with APG LLP, told CBC News last month that statutory release laws are "very, very effective" overall, but questioned systemic enforcement when breaches occur.

When an offender breaks release conditions — such as failing to report to a halfway house — infractions are reported quickly, Spratt noted.

He said public scrutiny should focus on how fast law enforcement responds to issue warrants and apprehend individuals in breach, he said.

“The public is rightly concerned when someone does offend on statutory release or on bail," Spratt said.

"We often focus on the tragedy of the offence, but we don't focus on the police response … quite often that's where the chain breaks down.”

Wallis Snowdon is a journalist with CBC Edmonton focused on bringing stories to the website and the airwaves. Originally from New Brunswick, Wallis has reported in communities across Canada, from Halifax to Fort McMurray. She previously worked as a digital and current affairs producer with CBC Radio in Edmonton. Share your stories with Wallis at wallis.snowdon@cbc.ca.