EDITORIAL: Berner has no remorse for her actions
That convicted drunk driver and child-killer Carol Berner has applied to the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal her sentence should come as no surprise.
Berner was found guilty in July 2010 of two counts of dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm and two counts of impaired driving causing death and bodily harm, after losing control of her car on a Delta street, striking and killing four-year-old Alexa Middelaer and seriously injuring her aunt.
While the Middelaer family had sought at least a 10-year sentence for Berner, crown prosecutors had hoped for three to five.
However, the judge decided Berner regretted her actions and was unlikely to reoffend. She was given a two-and-a-half year sentence.
But as Berner’s actions now clearly show, the only thing she regrets is getting caught.
Her constant attempts to reduce an already lenient sentence are proof she takes no responsibility for her actions.
What’s worse, is that for the Middelaer family, who want nothing more than to move on with their lives, they must relive the pain and sorrow of losing their daughter every time Berner goes before the courts.
Of course Berner is entitled to due process, and it is her right to launch this appeal.
However, given the public apology Berner gave to the Middelaer family during her sentencing, her continued appeals constitute a slap in the face.
As Middelaer’s mother said, at the end of the day there’s a little girl who’s dead and she should be in Grade 4 right now.
But how many more children will die before the issue of drunk driving is taken seriously? In 2008, the year Berner killed Alexa Middelaer, there were 101 deaths in B.C. from alcohol-related automobile crashes.
How are we prevent future tragedies, if those who commit them know they will receive a mere slap on the wrist? What deterrent is there?
Berner clearly has no remorse for actions, and has learned nothing from this tragic episode.
-South Delta Leader
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