SQLFusion - Wrong tool for right problems

'Wrong tools' for 'right problems'

Oral submissions begin at Cornwall Public Inquiry

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

23 February 2009

Posted By Staff

Citizens for Community Renewal lawyer Helen Daley kicked off day one of phase one oral submissions this morning at the Cornwall Public Inquiry.

Daley suggested more than once that the “wrong tools” were often used to address the “right problems” after the controverisial settlement of David Silmser and the church made it into the public realm in 1994.

Daley's submissions highlighted what she called “patterns of weakness” found in Cornwall's institutions such as the Children's Aid Society, the Cornwall Community Police Service and the local probation office.

“Stay internal and quietly resolve it at that level,” was how Daley described the institutions who failed to alert police about potential allegations of sexual abuse.

Daley said neither the local police or the OPP succeeded in addressing the public perception of a cover up in the community. She said instead of city police admitting that “the investigation misfired” in the Silmser case, the OPP essentially became a “political tool” to deflect accountability.

Daley suggested a public meeting, perhaps involving the Bishop himself, could potentially have dispelled the public notion of a conspiracy.

“We all fail,” Daley said. “That was an explanation in human terms that could have been accepted.”

Daley said an atmosphere of homophobia in the Cornwall area contributed to the suspicion about a conspiracy and rampant pedophilia.

“Activities that in a less homophobic community would be seen as benign, in Cornwall became evidence of a pedophile ring,” states CCRs written submission, using the example of gay men vacationing together.

Lawyers Ian Paul and Frank Horn of the Coalition for Action are currently making submissions at the inquiry.

Article ID# 1447839
Comments on this Article.

Holy crap now we're a ****phobic community.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By dodger,

I Guess we can't use the word h o m o phobic in this blog.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By dodger,

Mrs daley. Not a bad excuse.But far from the truth of the matter.You must of been talking with the expert on gay life styles CLAUDE MCINTOSH.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #3 By luckyred,

HA! HA! HA! Right on luckyred!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #4 By RealityChecker,

Why would you weep for Perry Dunlop! Perry Dunlop would have done all sexual abuse victims and society a service by sharing the details of the trials and tribulations he claims to have endured with the Cornwall Public Inquiry. The damages Perry suffered pale compared to the lifelong consequences sexual abuse victims are burdened with. Dunlop may have started off well intentioned, but seemed to succumb to a personal agenda. There is little doubt that Perry connected with many victims as a beacon of hope. He also heard from many victims and had a responsibility to share the information with the authorities. Yes there will be claims " the fix is in" Really Perry missed the chance to share in a protected environment the exact betails of his observations. He could have expressed his concerns regarding the inquiry in the safety of the witness box at the CPI. The world was watching. Waiting. It became the Perry Dunlop show and really did nothing to help victims. It did keep the bloggers going along with the conspiracy theorists.It is hard to imagine that there are those that suggest that the CPI is a goverment funded coverup. Do you really think the powers that be would invest this energy into saving the butts of some aged deviants. There can be little doubt that the incidents of sexual abuse in Cornwall was and may still be very high, also the powers that be failed miserably in the past, but by being overly critical of the CPI, as well by failing to patricipate in a meaningfull fashion, great harm was done to the process and likely the outcome. In addition an orchestrated attempt to undermine the CPI was underway from day one. Weep not for Perry and his followers. Weep for the victims that will not benifet from active paticipation free from rhetoric and hysteria. The inquiry had and hopefully still has the power to impact sexual abuse on a national scale. It was the only show in Canada and with all the petty bickering and posturing we have all paid a huge price.Shame, shame, shame only in Canada.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #5 By silentnomore

Silentnomore.I have never talked to mr.perry dunlop,i have never met mr.perry dunlop but i,m very upset at what they did to him.This is not the Perry dunlop inquirey.He choose not to take the stand just like many others, including myself and nobody was jailed but Perry Dunlop.But one of my biggest promblems is,before this started commisioner Glaude said no one will be forced to testify against there WILL.Don,t you find something very very wrong here.And furthermore this inquirey wasn,t about the abuse the victims suffered but what went wrong with there complaints.Thankyou to the dunlop family

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #6 By luckyred,

And by the way Perry Dunlop was the only witness to be put in jail for not taking the stand at an inquiry.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #7 By dodger,

He was the only one that disobeyed a court order. Can we say due process

Reply | Report | Page Top

Post #8 By silentnomore,