Outrage as prolific offender released on bail in Vancouver yet again

Last Thursday, Mohammed Majidpour was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon for allegedly hitting a 19-year-old student over the head and shouting racial slurs at her in downtown Vancouver in late September.

After spending the long weekend in jail, the 35-year-old prolific offender has been released on bail, despite having dozens of convictions in the past six years, many of them for violent offences, and repeatedly missing court dates and violating probation.

Former solicitor general Kash Heed was astounded the community court judge granted Majidpour bail.

“If you want to look at a frustrating failure of our justice system in British Columbia and how it’s administered, this is a prime case,” said Heed, adding the community court was never designed to handle violent offenders like Majidpour, who he worries will immediately re-offend.

“The unfortunate part is someone else will become a victim of his violent nature, and that’s a sad part of this,” said Heed.

Liberal leader Kevin Falcon is also concerned that Majidpour is back on the streets.

“This does not make any sense,” said Falcon. “I think that at some point we have to say the safety of the community has got to come first before we think about how hard done by some of these individuals might be by having to spend some time in jail.”

Falcon blames the NDP government for not doing more to ensure prolific offenders stay behind bars.

”We can’t have individuals like this released back into the community, only to threaten other women or beat other women, or worse. That young woman could have died. This is a very serious proposition that I don’t think is being treating with the upmost seriousness by the NDP government, or frankly the courts,” said Falcon.

CTV News asked to speak to Solicitor General Mike Farnworth about Majidpour’s release, but was told he was not available. In a statement, he said: “Our government shares British Columbians’ frustration with those who are engaging in repeated criminal activity and unprovoked violent stranger attacks, and we are determined to address this serious issue that’s hurting communities across the province.”

As part of his release conditions, Majidpour has to report to a bail supervisor, attend the downtown community court mental health program, show up for court dates, have no contact with the victim of the alleged assault, and not possess any weapons.

Falcon says considering Majidpour’s record of re-offending, releasing him on bail is putting British Columbians at risk. “We cannot afford to keep rolling the dice when the public is being put at risk. We have to weigh in on the side of protecting the public over protecting the rights of that particular criminal,” he said.

“As father of two young girls, I can’t imagine that there is some future family that is probably going to have deal with another attack that is going to be unprovoked.”