Life, love, and dealing with the stresses, pressures, and expectations we all feel come with the decision to share our lives with someone else is probably one of the hardest tasks we all humans undertake in today’s complicated world. A modern world often not in harmony with the humans attempting to survive, even prosper, in it and often fatal to the individuals least able to protect themselves from the violence and hatred we all feel in the world more and more every day.

Victoria, British Columbia, became the scene of such a tragedy on September 04, 2007, when Peter Lee, a 38 year old Korean gentlemen, presumably stabbed to death his wife Sunny Yong Sun Park, 32, his six year old son, Christian, and his wife’s parents, Kum Lea Chun, 59, and Moon Kyu Park, 66, in their million dollar mansion, before ending his own life.

Fast-forward to this Tuesday, when the 10 day inquest into the terrifying mass murder-suicide that took place in a quiet Oak Bay home last year, will hear testimony from Jennifer Power, regional Crown counsel on Vancouver Island, as to why the crown decided to release the Peter Lee on bail despite pleas by the police, who had a known history of violence, criminal activity, and lawsuits filed against him.

The inquest was called because of public criticism of the handling of the Lee case, specifically domestic violence incidences have been on concern lately, because at the time of the events of September 04, 2007, Mr Lee had been released on bail and under a no contact order when he killed his family.

The inquest will be a public hearing before a five citizen jury that will delve into the facts surrounding the provinces handling of the case, will make recommendations to prevent future incidences, but will not have the authority to issue any responsibility for the deaths.

The inquest while needed, is not likely to come up with any solutions that haven’t been put forward and then summarily executed before, by various groups concerned about the existing conditions, but unable to come to a common consensus.

The powers that have been given to government officials responsible for keeping criminals behind bars so as to protect others from violence and hatred appear to have dropped the ball in this case. Maybe, the powers that make these important decisions about life and death, need a watchdog to monitor all such cases and to make sure that a second opinion with power to affect change exists, while this obviously won’t stop all such tragic events, it might be a good start.

But then we all know how they feel about being watched and how hard it will be to put such a system in place, good luck to us.