A father whose 22-year-old son died by suicide in 2021 after allegedly buying a lethal substance online says little has been done to curb the online trade of deadly substances in Canada. He warns that harmful internet platforms linked to extreme harm remain accessible on phones and laptops even though the Law case drew international attention. Kenneth Law, an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later took their own lives, was set for trial on 14 counts of first-degree murder and aiding suicide. Murder charges are expected to be withdrawn, with Law instead pleading guilty to lesser charges of aiding suicide. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, aiding suicide can bring up to 14 years in prison, while first-degree murder carries life imprisonment without parole for 25 years.
"Years after Kenneth Law's arrest, a father who holds the Ontario man responsible for his son's death by suicide says little has been done to rein in the online trade of lethal substances that continues to claim lives in Canada and abroad. David Parfett, whose 22-year-old son Tom took his own life in 2021 after allegedly purchasing a substance from a website linked to Law, says he is concerned authorities have not learned from the case that has cast an international spotlight on deadly gaps in online regulation."
""Canadians are still dying yet those deaths should have been prevented with lessons learned from the Law case," Parfett, who lives in the United Kingdom and is not part of the Canadian legal case, said in a message to The Canadian Press earlier this week. "Harmful internet platforms that aren't illegal but are associated with an astonishing level of harm continue to be accessed on cellphones and laptops in Canada.""
"Law is accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later used them to take their own lives. He was set to stand trial in Newmarket, Ont., last month on 14 counts each of first-degree murder and aiding suicide. The murder charges against him are now expected to be withdrawn Friday, with Law instead pleading guilty to the lesser charges of aiding suicide."
"Under the Criminal Code of Canada, those found guilty of aiding suicide can face up to 14 years in prison, while first-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Law's defence lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, gave notice of the plea deal last month, though he provided no details on how it ma"
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