Captain Semrau was found guilty of Disgraceful Conduct and today his sentence was handed down. He was reduced in rank to 2nd Lieutenant and dismissed from the Armed Forces.
This was the right and just result. From the evidence presented at trial he did not have murder on the mind. The prosecution's own evidence indicated that it was a mercy killing.
It was still wrong but it was not murder.
Now Robert Semrau can go about rebuilding his life as a civilian. His case should serve as a lesson to serving members of the military. Doing the right thing is difficult. As an officer he needed to follow orders which did not include killing a wounded combatant....even as an act of mercy.
It is especially important that the difficult issues that this case presented did not cause the system to take a pass on rendering judgment.
Good luck to Robert Semrau as he gets on with life. His actions may yet serve to make the Canadian military a better place.
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