Dick Nadeau Letter to Attorney General David Young 

(Young, a Progressive Conservative, was appointed Attorney General by Ontario's Premier Michael Harris 08 February 2001. He replaced PC MPP Jim Flaherty.  Young maintained his post as AG through the first year of the Ernie Eves government. 

On 25 February 2003 Young lost his post as AG to Norm Sterling in a cabinet shuffle. The Ernie Eves government was ousted in the October 2003 provincial election. 

Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty appointed Michael Bryant to the influential post of Attorney General.) 

Please note that Project Truth files turned over to the Ontario AG’s office by Project Truth included those of men investigated by the probe for obstruction of justice vs sexual abuse. It was understood that the office of the AG would then determine if charges would be laid.  Dick references Murray MacDonald in that context, and he seems to imply that all those files sitting in the AG's office are those of alleged paedophiles.  It is my understanding however that the Project Truth investigation identified both alleged paedophiles and/or those who allegedly obstructed justice.   If indeed, as Dick seems to indicate here, a Murray MacDonald file was forwarded to the office of the AG for consideration it is highly probalby it was in relation to an investiation into allegations of obstruction of justice/cover-up against the Crown as dictated in the Project Truth mandate. 

Dick's Letter to Attorney General Young

May 5, 2001

The Hon. David S. Young

Attorney General

720 Bay Street

11th Floor Toronto, ON

M5G 2K1

Dear Sir,

It was another ho-hum week in Cornwall.

Another victim of male sexual assault dealing with isolation, futility and despair committed suicide at age 41 by jumping off the International Bridge ( the third victim this year to do so) and another charged pedophile committed suicide in his car before trial.

Three trials ended and all the pedophiles walked. One man who sexually abused his 4-year-old nephew got a one year conditional discharge; another who for some 25 years abused his charges who are all developmentally delayed, got three months; Marcel Lalonde, a Class A pedophile who pleaded not guilty to all his charges and who showed no remorse or even an understanding of his actions and who has at least one suicide to his credit, after dead time of 5 months, spends only another 4 months in jail due to a blending of house arrest in a 2 year less a day sentence. He should have received the maximum penalty and possibly be charged with manslaughter. Jean-Luc Leblanc who is also coming up for sentencing shortly also has a suicide directly connected to him.

And then there is the matter of rev. Charles MacDonald. Judge Robert Desmarais put his court case over to March 18, 2002. Does no one understand the gravity of this decision. He was charged in 1996 but could have been charged years earlier. He and Ken Seguin (a probation officer who committed suicide in 1993) are the reasons for the Church paying out $32,000 to shut up David Silmser and continue the cover-up. Please effect some change here. He needs to be tried as soon as possible or we will lose him to Charter issues and the truth will never come out.

What does all of the above say to the people of Cornwall and to the victims who continue to wait for some measure of justice and closure? We are no better off than we were 40 years ago. Where do we go with our outrage and dissent if not to you? Some 12,000 citizens petitioned for an enquiry which was denied on the basis of being counter-productive to the present and continuing trials. At this rate, given that father Charlie's trial has been extended another year, that enquiry will never take place. Is that the strategy? To wait us out?

In the Leduc trial, Inspector Pat Hall commented on the Project Truth investigation and said that there were still 27 suspects remaining with decisions on their fate in Crown hands. Among these suspects are numerous priests, the bishop, Cornwall police officers and the present Crown Murray MacDonald. What is the reason for the long delay on coming forward with charges? Has the issue become too "hot" and now resides in the political realm instead of Justice? We know that these priests are guilty of sexually abusing young males. We know that there was a conspiracy, obstruction of justice and a cover-up. Why not make it public? Are these men considered so important as to be untouchables? They are known to be pedophiles. They have damaged the Catholic Church. They have lied to their parishioners. Are you another Knight that is bound by oath to protect the bishop and his priests?

I have no idea who "you" are, where you stand on all this and what your future intentions are concerning these matters. I don't know if this letter will even be read by you. I do know that your position is one of service and it is in that spirit that I write to you. I am a victim of clerical sexual abuse and I was 57 when the aftermath of that abuse came visiting. I am now 61, in failing health and a victim's advocate. I speak for more than 100 men. I have met them all and witnessed their shattered lives as a result of their being sexually abused as young boys. There are few or no services for these men. The best that I can do is to lead them into civil lawsuits where they can speak their truth and get a measure of justice. I will continue to do so. For example, there are now more than 20 men in the lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and the list keeps growing. Criminal justice has not worked for us.

We need help. The MacDonald trial date has to be overturned and his trial held in the very near future for all kinds of reasons. The Judiciary has to become more knowledgeable about the utter destruction that sexual abuse brings to the life of a victim. The Judges have to give sentences that mirror that damage. Crowns have to become more passionate in their prosecutions of pedophiles. Experts on sexual abuse should be part of any trial if only to delineate the problems that victims have when testifying. Harvey Latour, another Class A pedophile got off because the Judge stated "that he wasn't guilty enough". All of the Project Truth trials have been fiascos to date. Again, what does that say to the community about our system of Justice? It is seen as laughable, breeding disbelief and cynicism as a result.

You are the only one that can effect change and begin to set things right. Please make that commitment to us. We have had several Attorney Generals prior to your appointment who were ineffectual as to our issues and concerns. Become part of the solution and dismiss those political pressures that are brought to bear every time Cornwall is mentioned. Do the right thing. That's all we ask.

Respectfully yours,

Dick Nadeau

Box 277

Casselman, ON

KOA IMO

(613) XXX XXXX

cc: John Cleary MPP