We are holding Erin Kern’s family in our thoughts. Erin was killed in her home earlier this year. Her father was attacked as well. The man accused of killing her had been ordered to stay away. He ignored those orders again and again. The system failed to stop him.
This is not a distant issue. It is a pressing and immediate failure that demands our attention. Drew Moore was charged six times for breaching court orders before Erin’s death. Most of those charges were dropped or stayed. Some were withdrawn the day after she died.
That is not justice. That is a revolving door.
Alberta’s Public Safety Statutes Act allows for electronic monitoring of high-risk offenders and is meant to help keep victims safer. But it is not available in all cases. Emergency Protection Orders and other restraining orders often do not qualify, leaving a serious gap. This is one of those cases. The man accused of killing Erin Kern breached court orders time after time. If this program had applied, it might have helped protect her and her father.
As Cat Champagne from the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters said, Canada’s probation and bail systems must be strengthened to better protect all victims of crime, including domestic violence survivors. She emphasized that repeat offenders need stronger consequences for breaking release conditions and that people with a significant history of breaching court orders should not be released. Erin’s case has shown how the justice system is falling short.
We are tracking cases like this and using them to advocate for change. Programs meant to protect people must actually protect them. No one should ever have to face this kind of risk again.
We will keep fighting #UntilAllHomesAreSafe
Contact your MLA and ask what they are doing to close the gaps in our justice system. Ask how they are making sure programs work for survivors.
Find your MLA:
https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/members-of-the-legislative-assembly
