When Families Are Overlooked

When Justice Feels Unbalanced

When I sit and reflect on the way decisions are made by those in authority, I cannot help but feel a deep sadness. Time and again, it seems that more consideration is given to the person who committed the crime than to the family left behind to pick up the pieces.

I know what it feels like to have your loved one taken in the most brutal of circumstances. Families like mine live every day with a pain that never fades, a sentence that never ends. And yet, when we raise our voices, highlight inaccuracies, or question reports filled with unproven claims, our concerns too often fall on deaf ears.

The Weight of False Claims

What troubles me most is how untested allegations can be repeated as though they are fact, while the truth of our loss, and the impact on our lives, seems to carry less weight. It is almost as if the system forgets that behind every statistic, behind every legal report, there are families broken and lives forever changed.

Our right to privacy is invaded, our loved one’s memory is clouded with speculation, and the scales of justice feel painfully unbalanced. Where is the fairness in a process that protects the rights of an offender more than it upholds the dignity and safety of grieving families or the wider public?

Families Deserve Better

I believe that public safety and public interest must always come first. Families should not be left in the shadows while governing bodies defend the rights of those who took so much from us. We deserve honesty, respect, and a place at the table when decisions are made — not to be dismissed or told that our concerns carry no weight.

Until this changes, I will keep speaking out. Because families matter. Because our loved ones matter. And because justice must never be allowed to tilt in favour of those who commit terrible crimes over those who endure their lifelong consequences.

— Jean Taylor