Penticton, British Columbia – Family and community members gathered outside the Penticton Courthouse to express their outrage over the recent decision by the Parole Board of Canada to grant day parole to the murderer of Roxanne Louie. Louie, an Indigenous woman, was brutally beaten to death by Grace Robotti, who then attempted to cover up the crime by dumping her body on a Naramata forestry road.
Members of the Louie family, including Laurie and Dan Wilson, spoke out against the parole board’s decision, expressing their frustration at the lack of notification and the opportunity to provide submissions and impact statements before the decision was made. The family, along with Chief Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band, Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, emphasized the systemic problem of overlooking Indigenous voices in the justice system.
Robotti was sentenced to life in prison in 2017, with no eligibility for parole until 2027. However, she recently received day parole, sparking outrage and disbelief. Community leaders and officials, including MLA Joan Phillip and Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield, pledged to support the family’s fight for justice and to challenge the parole board’s decision.
The event concluded with a commitment from the gathered chiefs to take formal action to address the injustice, and Laurie Wilson announced plans to circulate a petition to force a review of the parole board’s decision. The decision to grant day parole to Robotti has been met with widespread condemnation, with many viewing it as the latest in a series of injustices faced by Indigenous communities.
The parole board’s decision to grant day parole to Roxanne Louie’s murderer has reignited the ongoing fight for justice for Indigenous women and girls, with community members and leaders vowing to continue their efforts to bring about meaningful change in the justice system.