HALIFAX -- Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay says there's nothing the government can do to prevent Paul Bernardo from communicating with a woman who is reportedly planning to marry the convicted killer.
MacKay says that whenever he hears Bernardo's name, his thoughts turn to the victims.
The minister says he is reminded how the victims will not be able to have relationships or enjoy many of the things that Bernardo enjoys.
He says the Justice Department does not plan to take action because it can't stop a convict from communicating through letters and emails unless the messages are harassing or contain criminal intent.
The QMI news agency is reporting that an unnamed 30-year-old woman from London, Ont., has admitted to writing letters to Bernardo since last fall.
The news agency says the woman's parents are insisting she has changed her mind about marrying Bernardo, and the agency quotes the woman as saying she is "rethinking" her plan.
In the early 1990s, Bernardo and his then-wife Karla Homolka were convicted of crimes related to the rape and murder of two teenaged schoolgirls, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy.
Bernardo was sentenced to life in prison and Homolka served 12 years for manslaughter, having struck a deal with prosecutors in 1993.
