'Balaclava rapist' Larry Takahashi gets full parole more than 40 years after attacks
![Balaclava Rapist Larry Takahashi, dubbed the Balaclava Rapist, is seen in this undated handout photo.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2013/11/2/balaclava-rapist-1-1525121-1629153708482.jpg)
A serial sex offender known as the "balaclava rapist" for attacking 23 women in Edmonton more than 40 years ago has been granted full parole while he continues to serve three concurrent life sentences.
The Parole Board of Canada says 71-year-old Larry Takahashi has demonstrated prolonged stability at the home where he lives and he is “highly motivated to reintegrate safely back into society.”
He gained his nickname for wearing a ski mask during a series of attacks on women over several years in Edmonton before his arrest in 1983, which led to a guilty plea on 14 charges.
The board’s decision, made in Abbotsford, B.C., on June 25 but released to the media Monday, says Takahashi’s psychological assessment concludes his risk to reoffend either sexually or violently is “relatively low or well below average.”
It says that he has completed all recommended prison and community programs, has met regularly with a psychologist and remains open to counselling, if recommended.
His plan for full parole includes living in a home he has rented in a location not disclosed in the decision, and that he is able to support himself financially.
It says Takahashi's case management team is of the opinion that he no longer needs the structure of a community residential facility after being granted day parole in 2016.
"(You) have suitable housing, have insight into your offence cycle and risk factors, have participated in a slow and progressive transition to increased independence without concern, and will continue to be subject to a supervision plan and have access to community supports to maintain your progress and manageability," says the decision signed by two parole board members.
The decision says Takahashi's assessor recommended that special conditions placed on him be removed gradually and that he ask for mental-health support to help with increased stress that the freedom of full parole may give him.
"This is in part based on your history of impression management, capacity to control interactions, and tendency to use openness, honesty and disclosiveness as a means to 'wrest control' from your supervisors," the decision says.
Conditions of Takahashi's release include reporting any female relationships and respecting a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
He is required not to consume alcohol or drugs, acquire pornography, or attend any college or university campus or residential area without prior permission.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2024.
Correction
This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly said Takahashi was serving consecutive life sentences. In fact, they are concurrent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7018645.1724939212!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Poilievre asks Singh to pull out of Trudeau confidence deal to prompt fall election
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is asking NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to pull out of the deal he has with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to force an election this fall.
Manitoba doctor convicted of sexually assaulting patients sentenced to 12 years behind bars
A doctor who was found guilty of sexually assaulting some of his patients over several years was sentenced in a Manitoba court on Thursday.
Are Canada's leaves changing colour earlier than usual this year?
If you’ve noticed trees in parts of Canada have been changing colours earlier than usual in recent years, you’re not alone, according to a botany expert who spoke with CTVNews.ca.
Man charged in corn maze killing previously confined to Alberta Hospital: documents
The man charged in a fatal stabbing at the Edmonton Corn Maze earlier this week had previously been found not criminally responsible for violent crimes and confined to a psychiatric hospital, court documents show.
Visitors to Canada can no longer apply for work permits from within the country
Visitors to Canada can no longer apply for work permits from within the country, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced Wednesday, bringing an early end to a pandemic-era program that temporarily expanded immigration access.
Man sought for murder in Toronto-area woman's death fled to Hong Kong
Police say a man wanted for first-degree murder in the death of a Toronto-area woman has fled Canada.
70-year-old going 160 km/h on Hwy 417 in Ottawa to 'get away from a bad driver' facing charges
A 70-year-old from Ottawa is facing charges after clocking 160 km/h on Highway 417 to "get away from a bad driver" Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Confused about all the deductions on your paycheque? Here's what they mean
Financial planning experts say understanding how deductions are calculated on a paycheque is vital for employees budgeting their money, especially those just entering the workforce or new to Canada.
'Unprecedented' discovery: 17th-century mummy brains show evidence of cocaine use
Preserved brain samples dating back to early 17th-century Milan have tested positive for cocaine, a team of Italian researchers has found, but it's not immediately clear how it got into their systems.