Aryan Guard Vandal Sentenced Delayed

Not long before the IED attack which would overshadow the story, the msm and our blog covered a story regarding vandalism at a Jewish community center in Calgary. We were sent information about who may have did it a few weeks later, but as the individual was a minor, we didn't publish the name at the time. Eventually the individual was arrested and later plead guilty resulting in Calgary's first hate crime conviction.

Today we learned that the sentence would be delayed until after his meeting with a victim of the Holocaust:

Calgary teen vandal to face Holocaust survivor
Sentence delayed in city's first hate crime conviction

By Stephane Massinon And Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald
March 5, 2011 8:29 AM

A city teen who admitted spray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti on a synagogue and another Jewish memorial won't be sentenced until he can meet with a Holocaust survivor.

The youth, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty last July to wilfully promoting hatred and mischief causing damage to a religious place of worship -- the Chabad Lubavitch and House of Jacob synagogues.

The guilty plea -- following the teen's arrest in Winnipeg last March -- is Calgary's first hate crime conviction.

The conference, in which the offender meets his victim, has been delayed because the survivor was out of the country.

"It's important this person participate for it to be meaningful," Adam Singer, spokesman for the Calgary Jewish Community Council, said outside court after the adjournment.

Asked what he would like to see come from the closed-door conference, Singer said: "I'd like him (offender) to go away with a sincere understanding of the serious crime he committed and the hurt he inflicted."

Surveillance video shot in November 2009 led to the arrest of the teen, who painted anti-Semitic slogans and swastikas on the memorial, synagogue and other locations in Pump Hill and Woodbine in the city's southwest.

Defence lawyer Jim Lutz told youth court his client, now 19, is eager to participate in the conference.
The case was adjourned until June 16.

Earlier Friday, the federal government gave $99,000 for security upgrades to eight groups that have been targeted by hate crimes.

Two groups in Calgary -- Akiva Academy and Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta -- and one in Edmonton, will receive $38,000 to improve their security.

Rabbi Menachem Matusof from Chabad Lubavitch said the centre will use its money for security cameras, monitors and better lighting.

"We hope and pray that we won't have to use them and this act on its own is sending a strong message to all those humans who act inhuman to think twice before they do anything," said Matusof.

He said the spray-painting attack left people very uncomfortable with bringing their children to the centre.

In a statement, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy said "the unfortunate reality is that Canada is not immune from violent acts that target individuals or groups based on their race, culture, religion or identity."

"The funding announced today will help improve security so our citizens can continue to remain engaged in their communities without fear of harm."

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

We don't think it's too late for this person (we rarely think it's too late for many of the people we cover here, in fact).

Let's hope this individual makes some better choices in the future.