VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A Canadian farmer convicted of the "mercy killing" of his severely handicapped daughter won day parole on Wednesday, with officials saying there was little chance he would kill again.
A National Parole Board appeals board delivered a stingingrebuke to officials who had refused to grant Robert Latimer dayparole last year on the grounds that he could not, or wouldnot, explain why he took his daughter's life.
"Your responses at the hearing reveal that you did in factdemonstrate insight and were able to explain why you decided toend the life of your daughter after thirteen years of caringfor her," the latest appeals panel wrote.
In a case that sparked national debate on euthanasia, theSaskatchewan farmer was convicted of the 1993 killing of hisdaughter Tracy, who was born with cerebral palsy and wasseverely disabled, and had the mental capacity of a 4-month-oldbaby.
He maintained he killed his daughter out of love andnecessity, but advocates for the disabled opposed calls forleniency and argued the girl was not as handicapped as hemaintained.
Latimer, 44, was sentenced to life in prison with no chanceof parole for 10 years.
"It was time for Robert Latimer and his family to have anuptick in their lives and this is it," said Jason Gratl, of theBritish Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which had helpedrepresent Latimer in the parole hearings.
The appeals board said there was no undue risk that Latimerwould re-offend, but it did order that he not have anyresponsibility for the care of anyone who is severely disabled.
(Reporting Allan Dowd, editing by Rob Wilson)