Experts & Expert Witnesses

At the Cornwall Public Inquiry

Dr. Donaleen Hawes

13 September 2007: (Dr. Donaleen Hawes, Catholic District Schhol Board): “No criminal checks on teachers until 2002, Cornwall inquiry told Catholic board teachers were not screened” and “Criminal background checks not mandatory until 2002: superintendent” and “Inquiry Hears About School Staff Screening”

Wendy Harvey

21 December 2006: (Wendy Harvey, Crown attorney) Society must recognize child sex abuse as a concern: lawyer
20 December 2006: (Wendy Harvey, Crown attorney) Inquiry Wraps Up For 2006
20 December 2006: (Wendy Harvey, Crown attorney) Time wears on abuse cases: ExpertProject Truth inquiry hears that delayed allegations often treated with skepticism
20 December 2006: (Wendy Harvey, Crown attorney) Delayed abuse complaints were often seen as suspect: B.C. lawyer
19 December 2006: (Wendy Harvey, Crown attorney) Inquiry Hears About Challenges Prosecuting Child Abuse Cases

Roger Kelly

19 December 2006: (Roger Kelly OPP) Victim needs should top priorities

Wendy Leaver (scroll down for article)

Robert Fulton (scroll down for article)

26 June 2007: Phase 2 Working Group Community Meeting

27 June 2007: High-profile healing needed

15 June 2007: New program to help abuse victims being studied by inquiry and Clarification 16 June 2007

14 June 2007: Media Briefing Notes – Colleen Parrish

April 2007: Member of Advisory Panel Gail Kaneb appeals to Chamber of Commerce to come to May 2007 meeting (This is a Word document)

29 March 2007: Justice Normand Glaude announces three Phase 2 Research Projects

Media Articles

Sobering Numbers

27 April 2006

SeawayValley.com AM 1220

The following commentary represents the opinion of the writer only and does not necessarily reflect the views of the management of Corus Entertainment.

The statistics paint a bleak portrait of our city. They were almost embarrassing to hear. Cornwall has one of the highest drop-out rates, one of the highest youth pregnancy rates, suicide rates, you know name it. The numbers make it sound that if there is anything in the world that is terrible and wrong, you'll find it in Cornwall.

Social research expert, Robert Fulton revealed the information at the Project Truth Inquiry. He says our static or declining population shows us to be a "stressed community". He also links a lot of our problems with child abuse. Children here become easy prey and then abused become abusers - of alcohol, drugs, sex, each other. It is a sad commentary on our city but one we should not ignore or sweep under the rug.

It always amazes me how some residents do not see what has been described as a dark cloud hanging over this city. I see the hurting everyday walk past my office window. I like this city a lot. I hope you do too so that together we can stop this ongoing cycle of abuse.

Kids' abuse claims often ignored
'People didn't believe it,' inquiry hears

Canoe news
Fri, April 28, 2006

By CP

CORNWALL — Children who made allegations of sexual abuse were rarely believed in the 1970s and 1980s, a sex crime expert told a public inquiry into the response of public institutions to such allegations here.

“There was little awareness, if any, of child sexual abuse,” said Det. Wendy Leaver of the Toronto Police Service’s sex crime unit.

“When allegations of child sexual abuse were made there was a tendency to disbelieve the child.”

Leaver said there wasn’t much support for investigations within the laws of the province or the country and taking a case of child sexual abuse to court was nearly impossible.

“Very little weight was given to the evidence of the child,” she said. “Courts were hesitant to convict on the evidence of the child alone because people didn’t believe it had happened.”

Leaver said very few cases of child sexual abuse were even reported to police and when they were, they were usually turned over to the Children’s Aid Society.

“At least something could hopefully be done to protect the child,” she said. “But from a policing perspective we would have an officer

visit the home to assist with the apprehension of the child and to perhaps speak with the parents.”

Leaver said the tendency to disbelieve a child who was making an allegation of abuse continued for many years until the late 1980s and 1990s when evidence showed the likelihood a child would make up a story of abuse was slim.

Leaver said there was little if any training on key issues such as how to interview a child or how to deal with historical allegations.

“As a result, investigations of child sexual abuse were lacking,” she said.

Leaver said she recalled a case from just a couple of years ago in the Toronto area in which a man contacted police and said he had been sexually abused by a teacher while attending a private school.

“He (the victim) was a principal at a school at the time he made the allegation,” she said.

“He feared that if he came forward, and if the parents of the students at the school where he was working found out he was abused as a young man, they would think he was abusing their children.”

Leaver said during the course of the investigation many other victims came forward while many others contacted her but didn’t want to get involved.

Police in Cornwall laid 114 charges against 15 men in the 1990s after a sweeping investigation known as Project Truth. Few of the cases ever made it to court, and police said they never found any evidence of a pedophile ring.

Commissioner Normand Glaude is to rule Monday on whether victims can testify about allegations of abuse and whether the church will be considered a public institution for the purposes of the inquiry.