B.C. woman who set her children on fire, killing daughter, granted full parole

A Kamloops, B.C., woman who set her two children on fire 22 years ago, killing one of them, has been granted full paroledespite denying her crimes for the past two decades.

Donna Hysop wasconvicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for setting her five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son on fire at her apartmentin March 1997. The girl died and the boysuffered permanent, disfiguring injuries.

Hysop was sentenced to life in prison.

Shehas long denied deliberately setting the fire. The Parole Board of Canadasaid she initially told people she had tried to kill herself and her children, but later recanted and said the fire was an accident.

Hysop has maintained that version of events in decades since, butin itsdecision to grant her full parole on Sept. 27, the parole board said she has taken responsibilityin her "own way" by participating in a correctional plan during her incarceration, whichhas included counselling.

"Given your stability and progress, the board concludes your risk to re-offend is manageable," the board's decision read.

Hysop was first granted day parole in March 2018. At the time, the board concluded she was at a low risk to re-offend. She was ordered to return to her Lower Mainland halfway house every night as part of her day parole conditions, and was also forbidden from being within 100 kilometres of her surviving son.

Hysop's case management team told the board it recommended granting Hysop wider freedom.

Her full parole conditions include staying away from children under the age of 14 and staying 100 kilometres outside of Salmon Arm, B.C., where her son lives.