Several high profile criminals have been in the spotlight lately, but one thing left unnoticed in all the hype is the effect it has on the families of the victims.

Michael McGray and Paul Bernardo, currently imprisoned for first degree murders, have received extensive media coverage in the last few weeks.

McGray was recently in the news claiming to have been responsible for 16 murders across Canada. He's currently serving a life sentence with no eligibility of parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder of a Newfoundland woman.

Paul Bernardo is serving a similar sentence for the murders of teenagers Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. He has been in the public eye lately asking the courts for a new trial, stating his original trial was flawed in several ways.

These men are the most recent examples of criminals having influence over not just the general public, but more importantly, the families of their victims.

In coming forward with their separate public statement, the two have had a direct impact on the families of the victims. In Bernardo's case, the Mahaffy and French families were once again forced to endure details of their daughters' deaths, and face the fact that they may have to deal with another trial. McGray, on the other hand, has involved 16 families who may now think the unsolved murders of their loved ones have been solved. Much of the media and, in effect, the public are going solely on the fact that this man says he committed them.

Can he be taken simply at his word?

Why are these criminals yielding so much power over the public from a prison cell? Do victims' rights end when the criminal is found guilty and sent to prison?

Bernardo should not be able to continually bring up the past. If he continues to pursue this idea of a new trial, he will be delaying the lengthy healing process the families of his victims must go through. Although Bernardo's appeal of his conviction was turned down very quickly by the courts, the fact that it grabbed so much media attention is positive only for Bernardo.

McGray has received national attention for his recent claims. Without significant evidence, to support to McGray's claims, he should not have received the amount of credibility that he did. The families of these unsolved murders have had their hopes raised prematurely.

The fact that criminals can basically say and ask for whatever they want is something the government and justice officials should look at changing. There should be more guidelines in place as to what those in prison can do and say, especially in regards to issues that will affect those that have been victimized.

Although those in prison and victims of crime have their respective rights, the rights of the victims must come first.

*LJG