Rally slated for Saturday at Queen's Park

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Members of the South Asian community have come together to ask for a public inquiry into the murder of Scarborough residents Susan John and Saramma Varughese in the hopes of preventing another tragedy in the future.

Rev. Prince Mookkanottil said the action group RESSCUE (Resource to Empower Societal Safety in Canada Uniting Everyone) formed following the stabbing death of Johns and Varughese in their home on Rotary Drive Oct. 13.

Police arrested Nathaniel O'Brien, who was out on bail and under house arrest next door to the women's home after being charged previously with two sexual assaults. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

The murder of the two women, as well as the shooting death of Bailey Zaveda on Oct. 25, has sparked a renewed call for a review in the criteria surrounding the granting of bail for violent offenders.

"We just wanted to get justice," Mookkanottil said of why the group was formed.

RESSCUE is currently collecting signatures for a petition and is organizing a rally at Queen's Park on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Mookkanottil said they have two goals: to have an inquiry into the incident and to have government officials notify the public when someone charged with a violent or sexual crime is let out on bail and released into the community.

"We don't want this to happen again to any other innocent people," he said.

The rally is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and Mookkanottil said they expect "no less than 2,000" people to attend.

Others are also calling for an inquiry into these murders.

Ward 44 (Scarborough East) Councillor Ron Moeser held a community safety meeting Nov. 3 in response to community concern.

On Nov. 14, he sent a letter to Dr. Andrew McCallum, chief coroner for the Province of Ontario, asking for a full coroner's inquest immediately to determine what led to these crimes, as well as how to prevent deaths like these from happening in the future.

"It is obvious and long overdue that something must be done to recognize and address the failings in the bail process and in our judicial system as a whole to prevent further tragedies," Moeser wrote.

He went on to write a coroner's inquest would provide an examination of the facts and provide recommendations for all levels of government to consider to prevent future deaths.

Moeser also plans to introduce a notice of motion at the December council meeting to ask the Government of Ontario to review the justice system as it relates to the bail process and the criteria judges use for letting someone out on bail; and that council, in conjunction with the chief of police, review the possibilities of public awareness when a known offender is released in a neighbourhood.