SQLFusion - Jason Tyo Affidavit for Cornwall Inquiry standing and funding

Jason Tyo

Jason Tyo was sexually molested as a boy by Jean Luc Leblanc

02 May 2008: Machismo kept police quiet: Payment

20 October 2006: No probation for child sexual abuse: Victims: Project Truth inquiry told stiffer sentences needed in such cases
28 October 2006: Victim says doors slammed in his face
31 October 2006: Alleged Victim Apparently Felt Uncomfortable At Inquiry

31 October 2006: Therapy would help victim

Jason Tyo Affidavit

IN THE MATTER OF THE PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OF Y PEOPLE IN CORNWALL, ONTARIO

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR STANDING AND
FUNDING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ABUSE

AFFIDAVIT OF JASON TYO

I, JASON TYO, of the Village of Martintown, in the United County of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, in the Province of Ontario, MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS:

1. I am one of the group of victims (hereinafter referred to as "Victims Group") who was sexually abused in the Cornwall area.

2. In 1981, at the age of nine, I was sexually abused by Jean-Luc Leblanc. This abuse continued for approximately seven years.

3. The Victims Group seeks standing at this Inquiry to ensure that the perspective of the Victims Group is brought before the Inquiry

4. As a victim of sexual abuse, my perspectives include the following:

a. When Jean-Luc Leblanc was brought to justice, the sentence imposed on him was too lenient. I feel that the punishment he received pales in comparison to the ruin he effected in my life and the lives of others. The justice system failed me as a victim.

b. I received no offer of support or counselling to help me deal with the effects of my abuse. Had I received any intervention, my life would not have turned out so bleak.

Impact of the Abuse

5. As a result of the abuse, I lost my childhood. I suffered a debilitating loss of the enjoyment of my life. I turned to drugs and alcohol to help me cope.

6. This sexual abuse has left me with poor self-esteem. I am constantly overwhelmed with feelings of depression.

7. Since the abuse and the failure of any form of institutional response, I have lost trust in authority figures and institutions. This has resulted in difficulties with the law. The charges I have faced include sexual invitation to touching against [theinquiry.ca was ordered to remove the next five words of text from this document by inquiry commission counsel Simon Ruel on 19 December 2006 under threat of legal action. This apparently followed a decision by Justice Glaude to have the five words redacted from the document on the Cornwall Public Inquiry website. The document had been made available to the public - in tact - and posted on the Inquiry website for months]. I believe this to be a result of my own abuse.

8. The abuse rendered me unable to cope. I could not concentrate in my academic endeavours and therefore dropped out after grade eleven.

Failings of the Institutional Response

9. After I reported the abuse to my teacher in 1983, Jean-Luc Leblanc only received probation of three years. I regard this as a complete failure on the part of the system, in that a known pedophile was allowed to remain a part of society thereby endangering others. In fact, two years into his probation, Leblanc sought me out and the abuse recommenced.

10. I believe that further details of my first hand experience as a victim dealing with the Cornwall police and justice system, which is the focus of Part I of this Inquiry, would be beneficial information for the Inquiry. I believe that my experiences and those of other victims must be canvassed by the Inquiry in order to fulfil its mandate.

11. My detailed experience dealing with the police and justice institutions could be obtained by my testimony or the provision of a summary of my experiences. The provision of either would be most effective if counsel were provided to me as it would be to other victims.

Clinical Support

12. Currently, I am not receiving psychological help in dealing with the abuse that I endured at the hands of Jean-Luc Leblanc.

13. I verily believe that victims of sexual abuse who struggle to deal with issues of trust should be able to seek individual counselling with qualified counsellors of their choosing.

14. I verily believe that I require psychological support and counselling to help me deal with the emotional trauma I have suffered as a result of the abuse. However, I have been unsuccessful in my endeavours to secure such treatment.

Standing

15. As a first hand victim of sexual abuse, I verily believe that it is crucial that my perspective be brought before the Inquiry. Therefore, I have a direct interest in the outcome of this Inquiry and, as part of the Victims Group, have a substantial interest in ensuring the objectives of this Inquiry are met.

16. I further understand that I have the potential for a civil action or application for criminal injuries compensation and that those legal rights may be impacted by my participation within the Inquiry. Accordingly, I believe that I need access to legal counsel, as do other victims like me, in order to fairly participate without detrimental impact upon my civil and administrative remedies.

17. Having personally experienced the depths of the impact of sexual abuse and the related institutional failings, I, like other victims have the greatest motivation to see the system corrected and improved.

18. I strongly believe that there is no greater advocate for systematic improvement of the treatment, handling, and prosecution of sexual abuse cases than the victims themselves.

Funding

19. One of the devastating effects of my sexual abuse has been my inability to maintain gainful employment. I am a low-income wage earner, therefore, in order to participate and be adequately represented at the Cornwall Inquiry I require that Ledroit Beckett, as my counsel of choice, receive funding to represent my interests without which I would otherwise be unable to participate in the Inquiry.

SWORN BEFORE ME at the )
City of Cornwall, in the )
United County of Stormont, )
Dundas & Glengarry
this 4 day of November 2005. )

A Commissioner, etc.
LISA DIANE COLLETTE, JASON TYO
a Commissioner, etc.,
United Counties of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry,
for the Corporation of the City of Cornwall,
Expires June 9, 2007