The federal prison service will review its decision to move notorious killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility, but its reason for the controversial transfer remained secret Monday.
Leaders from across the political spectrum expressed shock and outage at the Correctional Service of Canada's decision to move the murderer and serial rapist from Millhaven Institution, a maximum-security penitentiary near Kingston.
In a statement, the federal correctional service said it would review Bernardo's transfer to make sure it was appropriate, based on evidence, "and more importantly, adequately considered victims."
It called Bernardo's crimes "horrific," and said while it regrets any pain moving him has caused, "we are restricted by law in what we can divulge about an offender's case."
On Monday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said he had raised concerns about Bernardo's transfer directly to Anne Kelly, the federal corrections commissioner.
"I told her that as a former federal prosecutor and as a Canadian, that I was profoundly concerned and shocked by this decision," Mendicino told reporters.
"She assured me that she understood. She also assured me that she was going to be reviewing the matter."
Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, torture and murders of 15-year-old Kristen French in 1991 and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in 1992.