The court will give primary consideration to denouncing and deterring child abuse, Conlan says.
“There is no question that L.L. and J.L. were vulnerable persons,” he says, as Indigenous boys in the foster care system.
He says aggravating factors in this case include that the offenders abused members of their family, abused children and abused their positions of trust and authority.
He lists other aggravating factors, including that L.L. and J.L. were significantly harmed and prevented from accessing medical care.
“This is a highly aggravating case,” he says, with moral blameworthiness of the offenders “as high as could possibly be imagined.”