Openly gay Canadian Member of Parliament Svend Robinson, 52, announced April 15 that he will take a medical leave from politics after he stole a $50,000 diamond ring from a sale he attended.
Robinson, who has represented a Vancouver-area district for 25 years, was not apprehended at the time of the theft. He went to the police and confessed four days later.
The following day, Federal Auction Services said it had provided video evidence of the crime to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police before Robinson turned himself in.
'For some time now, I have been suffering from severe stress and emotional pain,' Robinson told reporters. 'I have experienced great inner turmoil. The reasons for this are of course intensely personal, and I am not prepared to discuss them, but among others relate to the cumulative pressures of dealing with the emotional consequences of a nearly fatal hiking accident [in 1997].
'This accumulated stress culminated last Friday in my engaging in an act that was totally inexplicable and unthinkable. While attending a public jewelry sale, I pocketed a piece of jewelry. ... Something just snapped in this moment of utter irrationality.
'Immediately upon leaving the premises I realized that I must return the jewelry. Too afraid to go back, and unable to contact the owners by telephone, during the long weekend, I spent a weekend of great anguish, determined to return the jewelry at the first opportunity. On Tuesday morning, I attempted to contact the owners, and not being able to do so directly, I went to the police and gave them a full account of what I had done, and returned the jewelry to them. ... I await the decision of Crown Counsel and will not seek to in any way avoid full responsibility for my actions should charges be laid in these circumstances.
'I have sought and am receiving professional medical help to understand and deal with these issues ... and I look forward to full healing and recovery with the excellent professional assistance I am receiving,' Robinson said. 'As you can imagine this has been a nightmare. I cannot believe that it has happened, but I am human and I have failed.'
Federal Auction Services said April 16 that it will not press the authorities to lay charges and 'accepts Mr. Robinson's apology,' which was offered in a letter that was not made public.
Canada's national gay lobby group, Egale, expressed distress at the news.
'We are all deeply saddened to hear about the ordeal that Svend Robinson is now going through,' said Executive Director Gilles Marchildon. 'Svend has been a bold and effective champion of equality and a role model for countless lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. He has made Canada a better place for all those who are different. Despite the difficulties he is now facing, he continues to demonstrate his personal integrity in the way he is handling this matter.'