Carmen Pregent

Impact Statement and Recommendations 

Carmen, Dick Nadeau's longtime and supportive common-law wife testified 31 October and 01 November 2007 at the Cornwall Public Inquiry.  She gave her testimony in French, her mother tongue. Carmen is bilingual but much more comfortable communicating in French.  Below is a translation which she kindly provided of both her “Impact Statement” and “Recommendation.”

 Impact

I consider myself to be a person on the outside, in regards to Project Truth, a person on the outside looking into the picture.  I was, and still am, scandalized by the injustice towards the victims, Dick, Perry and all the families who have suffered through it all.     

I want to specify that Perry and Dick risked everything, including their health. They did everything in their power to denounce the sexual abuse and the abuse of power perpetuated by everyone who should have been there to protect our children.      

Between Perry, Dick and the victims, many contacts were initiated with the authorities. They did everything to share the information. Dick wrote to the Attorney General; he had a good relationship with the OPP; he even spoke with Paul Martin, Brownell (I should have included Cleary – forgot).  Dick and Perry did everything in their power to unveil what was happening.     

I can assure you, from my own observation, that their only interest was to bring about justice for the victims. I can assure you that they acted to the best of their knowledge.  Maybe they didn’t act according to the interest of the justice system, but their intention was not to attack but to bring the truth forward.     

From 1993 to the year 2000, there were many occasions when the justice could have prevailed.  For example, McKinnon could have removed himself from the trial as soon as Dick mentioned on the website that there was a conflict of interest. The text titled Bedrock of Democracy was posted on the website in mid-January. McKinnon did admit a conflict of interest, but only at the end of February.  I also question if there was a conflict of interest with Cunningham, McKinnon and Chadwick.  Cunningham, who assigned McKinnon and Chadwick to Jacques Leduc’s trial, was the judge that found Dick guilty for contempt of court.     

Up to now, the only sentence rendered has been “Not Guilty Enough …”. I was very insulted when I read it in the Standard Freeholder… including the stay of Jacques Leduc.  Dick and Perry, as well as Carson, where always used as scapegoats. There were only two abusers who were found guilty and that is after they had pled guilty. I don’t understand how there can be so many victims with so few abusers found guilty.    

There have been flagrant offences committed by the public institutions that were assigned to protect our children, including the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, the Children’s Aid Society, SDG, the Correctional Services of Ontario, the school system, the justice system (including the police force), lawyers and judges.  They have all failed to support the victims. 

Due to this ongoing injustice, these predators are free to continue to sexually abuse our children and grand-children and the victims are encouraged to remain silent and to continue to suffer in silence.  I can personally speak about it because there is a family member who has refused to come out precisely because of what he observed with Project truth.     

I sincerely hope that each and every one of you who are representing those public institutions, mentioned above, will know to be objective and will choose to protect our children and grand-children. I’m asking all of you to have a social conscience as regards the well-being of our children.     

By listening to the testimony of the victims coming before you, you have the opportunity to notice the mental health problems they suffer as a result of the sexual abuse.  At the beginning of the Cornwall Public Inquiry, all of you had the opportunity to be educated by experts specializing in sexual abuse. This time there are no longer any reasons, nor excuses, not to render justice to and for the victims.     

There is an English quotation which says: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem”.  I do admit that, up until now, I have lost trust in the justice system.  However, maybe because I’m naïve, I keep hoping that the truth will prevail.  In order to not lose this faith, I need to repeat myself:  “If the mean is right, the end has to be right”.   

Recommendations  

I am requesting:    

That there is an assessment and a revision of the application of the laws that protect the victims and punish the guilty party;   

That harsh, exemplary and especially applied law, punish as required, the sexual predators;    

That the judicial system implement protocols to prohibit re-victimization of the victims of sexual abuse.  The judicial system is an uncertain milieu, lacking wisdom as it applies to the dignity of the victims of sexual abuse;    

That the victims of sexual abuse not be treated as the predator and the predator not be treated as the victims, which have been the case with Project truth. This is confirmed by the transcripts of the victims testimonies;     

That the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall sign a contract with the Government of Canada which states how it will proceed to compensate the victims of sexual abuse;     

That it be mandatory for the judges, lawyers and police, to attend training on sexual abuse in order to be able to identify the signs and symptoms and to understand the consequences of sexual abuse. It is shocking to observe the lack of knowledge of sexual abuse from the ones who are hired to protect and defend our rights;      

That society is educated about the problem of sexual abuse, in the public arena;     

That an education campaign on sexual abuse is implemented that targets the decision-makers, the parents, the teachers, the community leaders, the police and the media;    

That the final report of the Cornwall Inquiry on sexual abuse be publicized.  The report must include the lessons learned, in which the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, the judicial system, the Government of Canada will present their apology to the victims of sexual abuse;

That more programs such as “Men’s Project” be implemented across the province of Ontario.  Too few programs, specifically dedicated to men only, exist.