By Ashley Legassic

Kamloops woman who set kids on fire gets day parole extended

Oct 18, 2018 | 1:55 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops woman who set her children on fire, killing one of them, has had her day parole extended by six months.

Donna Hysop, who is now 51 years old, has been in prison since Nov. 26, 1998 after she was found guilty of pouring solvent on herself and her two children in an attempt to set them all on fire. Her five-year-old daughter died and her three-year-old son was severely injured and still suffers to this day, according to a decision by the Parole Board of Canada.

Hysop was granted day parole in March of this year. This came after she was granted an escorted temporary absence from her correctional facility in 2012, but it was revoked when she breached one of the conditions. She was granted the absence again in December 2017.

The decision states Hysop has had no institutional charges since going to prison, although she was involved in a physical altercation in January 2018. Mediation was successful in that case and there were no further issues.

“According to the most recent correctional plan update… your dynamic risk factor assessment ratings in the areas of personal/emotional orientation and marital/family are assessed as requiring a moderate need for improvement,” says the decision, adding that Hysop’s attitude requires a low need for improvement.

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Hysop’s most recent psychiatric assessment from August 2017 shows that she has made positive changes particularly in the last two years, according to the decision, adding that it indicates a level of awareness of Hysop’s risk factors.

“It states that from a clinical standpoint the opinion is that there is no negligible risk of you committing a similar crime in the future.”

The conditions of Hysop’s release include no direct or indirect contact with the victims or any of their family members, not going within a 100-kilometre radius of Salmon Arm, not to be a caregiver or in a position of trust role to any child under 14 years old unless accompanied by an adult and with written approval by her parole supervisor, immediately reporting all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with men to the supervisor, reporting all friendships with people who have parental responsibilities, following counselling and following a treatment plan.

Hysop is considered a low risk to reoffend.