Helen Dunlop

concerns re the inquiry process and recommendations

(20 September 2007, from the witness stand, at the conclusion of her examination in chief.  Extracted from Cornwall Public Inquiry transcripts)

 The Inquiry Process

I want to first address the Inquiry process. 

Since this Inquiry started, I have had the opportunity to either watch or read the proceedings on an almost daily basis. Several aspects or areas of concern have stood outover time. 

(1) One, the obvious adversarial and trial-like hostile environment that has so often been displayed here. Example, testimony of David Silmser; the shameful treatment of Steve Parisien and Albert Roy;

(2) the oftentimes hurtful and irresponsible media coverage locally, and a huge obvious lack of national media attention on an issue that is of life-threatening importance. 

(3) There should be more transparency and less secrecy concerning witnesses and evidence. 

(4) There should have been more input from victims of child sexual abuse before, during -- and during this Inquiry, as they are the real experts on the issue of abuse. To that end, I would like to quote from the Canadian Criminal Evidence Handbook regarding opinion evidence. The Handbook states: 

"An expert is one who has by experience acquired special or peculiar knowledge of the subject of which he undertakes to testify. It is immaterial whether such knowledge was acquired by scientific works or by practical observation.Regina v. Wald, 1989, Alberta Court of Appeal." 

The handbook also states: 

"A university degree is not a prerequisite to have developed expertise in any particular area.Regina v. Dugandzic, 1981, Ontario Court of Appeal; and Regina v. Rodych,1978, B.C. Provincial Court." 

(5) There should be less attempt by certain institutions to change the focus from honestly searching for the truth to shooting the messenger. 

(6) Another area of concern is all the questions that are still unanswered. Why, to this very day, some 14 years after Perry disclosed to the Children's Aid Society, the David Silmser statement and pay-off deal, have none of the following gentlemen been investigated or charged with obstructing justice:  

Eugene LaRocque,  

Sean Adams,  

Claude Shaver,  

Murray MacDonald,  

Jacques Leduc, and  

several members of the Cornwall Police Service. 

(7) Why was Perry charged under the Police Services Act in 1994 for following provincially legislated law? Who ordered or orchestrated this, and, secondly, why weren't those officers who failed to report the same suspected child abuse ever charged for not following this mandatory reporting legislation? 

(8) Why weren't Ken Seguin and Charlie MacDonald questioned after David Silmser submitted his statement in 1992, thereby leaving untold numbers of potential victimsat risk? 

(9) The Ottawa Police Service conducted an investigation on the Cornwall Police Service’s handling of the David Silmser complaint. Where is that official report? Who ordered Constable Heidi Sebalj to hide David Silmser's occurrence under the Project files rather than under the regular system and why? 

(10) Who ordered the illegal search warrant at Ron Leroux's house where a suitcase full of pornographic tapes were taken? Who were those officers? Who ordered those same tapes destroyed, thereby destroying potential evidence? 

(11) Why were there no search warrants executed by police on Malcolm MacDonald's home, office or cottage? Also the homes of Ken Seguin and Charlie MacDonald and, for that matter, any of the alleged pedophiles? 

(12) Was there ever any damaging evidence collected from the homes of Richard Hickerson, Nelson Barque, or from the homes of other alleged abusers who committed suicide? Who attended these homes? Is there evidence there? 

(13) Why has the taxpaying public never been allowed to access and read the Sears [Sirrs] Report. What is the Ontario government trying to hide? 

(14) How many millions of dollars in damages has the Ontario government paid out to victims of childhood sexual abuse in and around this area in the past 14 years? 

And I would like to read in my recommendations. 

Recommendations 

(1) First, mandatory education in all public schools regarding sexual abuse of children for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. This should include the signs and symptoms, consequences, and lifelong effects sex abuse has on a victim. 

(2) We should be making childhood sexual abuse cases in the courts a top priority. We should speed up the court process and close the loopholes for the alleged perpetrators. 

(3) We should offer better education of police officers and all other officers of the court on a mandatory and ongoing basis. 

(4) Whistleblower legislation with serious protection for whistleblowers and their families. 

(5) We should enforce zero tolerance for alleged sexual assault perpetrators or pedophiles. 

(6) Stiffer sentences with mandatory serving times for pedophiles. 

(7) More therapy centres for male victims of sexual abuse in this province. 

(8) Equal investigating, charging and sentencing of pedophiles with no preferential treatment because of position, power, clout, connection, money or control. 

(9) Harsh penalties for individuals or institutions who knowingly harbour or protect pedophiles.  

(10) We should be implementing an anonymous tips line to report suspected child molesters with a system whereby the caller could follow-up on the progress of the case. Those are my recommendations.