Karla Homolka—From a Woman In Danger to a Dangerous Woman

Abstract

In Canada in 1993, Karla Homolka was convicted of two counts of manslaughter in an Ontario court after entering into a plea bargain, which led to a reduced charge and sentence in return for her testimony against her husband, Paul Bernardo. Following her highly publicized trial, Karla Homolka was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Two years later, Paul Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender and was condemned to life imprisonment, for the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Karla Homolka was initially presented as a battered woman fearing for her life; however, this construction changed during the legal proceedings. This article examines the dichotomous construction of endangerment and dangerousness as applied to the socio-legal construction of Karla Homolka. Three data sources were used: the trial transcripts from Karla Homolka's plea agreement, Homolka's examination In Chief, cross-examination, and re-examination at Paul Bernardo's trial, and the Report to the Attorney General of Ontario on Certain Matters Relating to Karla Homolka. Homolka has been portrayed as representative of both the mythical depiction of the overtly dangerous and/or violent woman and as a woman in danger. This dichotomy of in danger and dangerous, modulates our understanding of Homolka, and ultimately lends to the creation of an even more extreme characterization, that of the sexually violent female predator. This article chronicles the evolution of our understanding of Homolka as a woman in danger and as a figure of dangerousness.