Surrey mayor 'infuriated' sexual predator to be released on day parole in his city

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum says the public should know where a sexual predator known as the "Marpole rapist" will be released on day parole in the municipality.

Gary Singh, 64, is serving an indeterminate sentence for sexual offences against 11 victims between January 1988 and August 1991. 

In a Friday statement, McCallum said that the news that Singh will reside in a halfway house in Surrey is "disturbing" and "infuriating."

"Singh is a designated dangerous offender and I am frustrated by the lack of information coming from the RCMP," the mayor said in the written statement.

"For the safety of the people of Surrey, I believe that our residents need to be told where this prolific sexual predator is residing in Surrey." 

Offender broke into victims' homes

Singh was convicted on four counts of sexual assault with a weapon, eight counts of break and enter, three counts of robbery and seven counts of sexual assault.

Documents obtained from the Parole Board of Canada describe how Singh forcefully took three of his victims off the street and assaulted them in dark, secluded areas. The remaining eight victims were asleep in their homes when he broke in and assaulted them.

According to the parole board, a recent psychological assessment identified that Singh is at a moderate risk to reoffend, but that risk "can be managed in a community setting with structure and ongoing support."

He has been granted day parole for six months.

'Significant conditions' for parole

Surrey RCMP said in a statement they shared many of the mayor's concerns about Singh's release into the community, but information about where he is staying cannot be made public.

"Unfortunately, the threshold for a Public Interest Disclosure was not met in this situation for a variety of reasons, including whether the individual posed an imminent threat, the recommended conditions and the strong release plan approved by the Parole Board," said Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards in the written statement.

He added that there are "significant conditions" in place for Singh, including electronic monitoring.

The police have not released Singh's photograph,

Singh will have to respect a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The conditions of Singh's parole prevent him from consuming alcohol or entering establishments such as bars or strip clubs.

He must also avoid areas sex trade workers are known to frequent, cannot own or operate a motor vehicle, can have no contact with his sister, his victims or his victims' families and cannot go to Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands.