24 February 2009

Posted By DAVID NESSETH,

Citizens for Community Renewal lawyer Helen Daley suggested that often the "wrong tools" were used to address the "right problems" when it came to dispelling notions of a conspiracy and pedophile ring in the Cornwall area.

Daley kicked off day one of phase one oral submissions yesterday at the Cornwall Public Inquiry, which runs until Thursday.

KEPT INTERNAL

"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 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.

Daley said the Cornwall police should have handled allegations of a conspiracy head-on after the controverisial settlement of abuse victim David Silmser and the church made it into the public realm in 1994. She said neither the local police or the OPP succeeded in addressing the public perception of a cover up in the community. Instead of city police admitting that "the investigation misfired" in the Silmser case, she said 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."

As soon as police realized there was a growing public perception of a cover-up, Daley said city police should have delved into what "defects" within the force could have led the public to feel that way.

Daley said Cornwall Police Const. Perry Dunlop, who began to operate independently of the local police service, unfortunately became a trusted alternative source after some people lost faith in more official channels.

"Constable Dunlop lost his way, but no individual should have covered the failure of these charges," Daley said..

She noted that victims' families who had experiences with institutions likely spread the word that they weren't effectively addressing complaints.

Daley also noted that the identity of alleged sexual abuse offenders often had an impact on the quality of any subsequent investigation.

Daley also noted that the identity of alleged sexual abuse offenders often had an impact on the quality of any subsequent investigation. Exactly and that was the problem if it was any ordinary Joe blow they would have been investigated charged and into the court system but because it was certain individuals things got bogged down. But there was no cover up and no one was covering anyone else's proverbial butts