With files from Simon Little
One of Canada’s most notorious rapists is being granted day parole in the Vancouver area after more than 30-years behind bars.
63-year-old Larry Takahashi, the so called “Balaclava Rapist,” was serving three life sentences and had admitted to raping at least 30 women in Edmonton in the ’70s and ’80s.
In 1984, Takahashi was convicted of 14 charges, including four counts of rape, sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated sexual assault and six counts of disguise with intent.
Parole Board documents show that despite continuing to have rape fantasies and “callous and remorseless” tendencies, officials believe he can be managed.
But Spokesperson Patrick Storey says that actually, Takahashi admitting to his fantasies is a sign of progress.
“Because he’s being forthcoming. The correctional programs are all designed to help these guys manage those fantasies. It’s actually the sex offender who won’t admit to having hte fantasies that becomes much more difficult to supervise.”
The Board can’t say where in the Lower Mainland Takahashi will reside, or whether he’ll be electronically monitored.
He’s under 11 conditions, including a 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, avoiding post secondary campuses, and abstaining from pornography, drugs or alcohol.
2013
In October 2013 he was given an Unescorted Temporary Absence and moved to a halfway in Victoria, where he was to reside until Christmas Eve when he’d then return to the custody of Corrections Canada.
Victoria Police issued a warning about Takahashi’s release saying the department believed he posed a significant risk of harm to women and teenage girls – and they didn’t know why a serial rapist considered a high risk to re-offend has been released from prison.
Kelsey Hymander with the Parole Board of Canada told media explained the the UTA was “strictly for personal development”, adding there is no such thing as life in prison without any chance of parole in Canada.
She added Takahashi would go back to prison sooner if he breached any of his release conditions; including staying away from alcohol, reporting any relationships with women, and not leaving the Victoria area.
Two weeks later, Victoria police confirmed Takahashi was back behind bars, but couldn’t say if he’d violated one of his parole conditions, despite reports of Takahashi receiving a massage at a halfway house in Victoria run by the Salvation Army.
2003
In 2003, Takahashi was released on day parole, but it was revoked in 2005 after a parole board was told he had met several times with a convicted sex offender in Vancouver.
Takahashi was also caught in three other parole violations.
