Notorious killer and rapist Paul Bernardo has been denied parole for a third time after the families of his victims made an emotional plea to the Parole Board of Canada on Tuesday to keep him behind bars.

The parole board noted that while Bernardo has made some strides during incarceration, there is still significant concern about his risk of sexual recidivism, his narcissistic personality and his 鈥渙verestimation鈥� of his progress, among other issues.

The board, which deliberated for approximately 30 minutes after Tuesday鈥檚 hearing, said its decision also considered the 鈥渆xtremely violent鈥� nature of Bernardo鈥檚 crimes.

Bernardo, who is designated a dangerous offender, is serving an indeterminate life sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.

The 60-year-old told the board he was primarily seeking day parole at a halfway house, or at a minimum, escorted absences from prison so that he can attend a community program for sex offenders. The board denied both.

The victims鈥� families made an impassioned case against Bernardo鈥檚 bid for release, and said they have been re-traumatized every time his parole hearings come up.

鈥淭he biggest destruction of the peace and joy and hope in my life has been and remains Bernardo,鈥� Leslie鈥檚 mother, Debbie Mahaffy, told the parole board hearing at the La Macaza Institution in Quebec, where Bernardo is currently held.

鈥淚 remain hopeful that you understand the sadistic, manipulative and psychopathic nature of Bernardo鈥檚 behaviour and the endless threat he represents to public safety,鈥� she said.

Mahaffy, who spoke of her struggle to forget 鈥渢he horrors of Leslie鈥檚 death,鈥� was overcome by emotion as she delivered her victim impact statement.

Tim Danson, the lawyer representing the French and Mahaffy families, finished reading the statement on her behalf, urging the board to deny Bernardo any type of release due to the heinousness of his crimes and his lack of remorse.

Bernardo was also convicted of manslaughter in the December 1990 death of his then-wife Karla Homolka鈥檚 15-year-old sister, Tammy. He ultimately admitted to raping other girls and women, beginning in the late 1980s.

Kristen鈥檚 mother, Donna French, who delivered her victim impact statement remotely, spoke of the 鈥渟enseless and brutal鈥� loss her family has endured for decades.

鈥淚t has been more than 32 years since my daughter, Kristen, was abducted, sexually assaulted, beaten to within an inch of her young life, tormented, humiliated and murdered, then dumped by the side of a road like a piece of trash,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hey say that time heals but I don鈥檛 for a minute believe that, for I have not healed.鈥�

Danson had previously said that because the parole board initially denied his clients the right to attend Bernardo鈥檚 hearing in person, a last-minute reversal of that decision meant that Donna French was unable to travel to Quebec on Tuesday.

The parole board also heard, via video conference, from other members of the French family and Leslie鈥檚 brother Ryan Mahaffy.

Mahaffy, who was seven years old at the time of his sister鈥檚 murder, said Bernardo didn鈥檛 just steal his 鈥渕entor and best friend鈥� 鈥� he also stole his parents.

鈥淎s a child, I lost one of the largest parts of my world and to my mother and father鈥檚 own grief, I lost them,鈥� said Mahaffy, whose gut-wrenching victim impact statement prompted a brief pause in the hearing.

He told the board that the 鈥減erpetual hell Bernardo bestowed upon my family鈥� gave him nightmares as a child and left him struggling with interpersonal relationships as an adult.

He said that when he became a father, he and his partner 鈥渁gonized鈥� over what to name their kids.

鈥淲e wanted to honour Leslie by name but couldn鈥檛, for fear of what they will find when they or others Googled their names,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ernardo鈥檚 actions haunt the simplest details of my life, including Father鈥檚 Day, the day he murdered her.鈥�

Bernardo was transferred to the medium-security La Macaza Institution from a maximum-security Ontario prison last year, in a decision that caused public outcry.

Bernardo鈥檚 parole officer told the hearing that he has 鈥渁djusted well鈥� since his arrival at La Macaza but he is 鈥渙verestimating his progress while underestimating the risk he presents.鈥�

The board heard that the Correctional Service of Canada did not support releasing Bernardo on parole and believed he hadn鈥檛 met all the criteria for escorted or unescorted temporary absences from prison.

Under questioning by the two board members, Bernardo said he believed he was ready to gradually step back into society, get 鈥渕ore help鈥� and ultimately find employment and a place to live. He said he would stay in Quebec if granted parole and was planning to soon start taking French lessons in prison.

Bernardo suggested that he has gained clarity and introspection since arriving at La Macaza.

He showed no visible emotion as he discussed his crimes and victims at the hearing, but choked up at times as he discussed his mother and the sexual abuse he said she endured in her own life.

He told the parole board that he began committing sexual offences as a way to exact 鈥渞evenge鈥� for his mother鈥檚 suffering, and for the pain he felt after his father rejected him for not being his biological son.

When the parole board questioned how victimizing girls and women could be seen as revenge in his case, Bernardo said he wanted to 鈥減ay the world back.鈥�

鈥淚 became a sexual sadist, there鈥檚 no doubt about that,鈥� he said, adding that while he has 鈥渘o excuse鈥� for his crimes, he had adopted a 鈥渧ictim stance鈥� as a result of his difficult childhood and teenage years.

The parole board pointed out that many people face adversity in their early years but they don鈥檛 become sexual offenders and killers.