Perry did this to himself

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

23 February 2008

Posted By McIntosh, Claude

The conspiracy theorists - and there's no shortage - are at it again, this time trumpeting the tall tale that Perry Dunlop has been thrown in the slammer by a corrupt justice system hellbent on punishing him because he blew the whistle on its friends.

The fact is, Perry Dunlop wrote his own "Go to Jail" ticket.

He's in jail because he chose to be, not because he exposed anything or anybody.

That "corrupt" system has bent over backward to accommodate him and keep him from facing a jail sentence for contempt of court.

All he had to do was testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry.

The former Cornwall police officer has no problem with testifying. But he does have a big problem with being cross examined.

In his mind, the institutional lawyers are a bunch of merciless buggers chomping at the bit, ready to pounce on him and tear him apart.

No question he would face some tough questioning (not grilling), but the kindly Comm. Normand Glaude has kept a tight leash on cross examination.

One of the big questions put to Dunlop might be why he bought into Ron Leroux's lies about a pedophile clan made up of prominent Cornwall and area citizens preying on young boys and using them as sex toys at wild orgies.

That hoax became the cornerstone of Dunlop's private investigation and ramped up the rumour mill.

He was duped, as were so many others.

Leroux testified that he was under pressure to give Dunlop and Co. a juicy story . . . so he made up a real dandy.

Ironically, Dunlop is credited as the driving force behind the inquiry that will probably end up costing taxpayers $40 million for a report that won't have much, if any, impact. It could become Ontario's most expensive doorstopper.

When Dunlop didn't like the path the inquiry was taking, he got up on his soap box and decreed it to be a sham and that the world was (again) out to get its only honest cop.

Many victims disagree with his decision not to testify and once again turn himself into a cause celebre.

In fact, some are very critical of his position.

Once again, the victims have been shuffled to the background as Dunlop takes centre stage.

The national media - in fact the media outside Cornwall for the most part - have ignored the inquiry.

Bingo. Perry Dunlop steps up to the plate and it becomes a national story . . . not the inquiry, but him.

Victims are getting shortchanged.

And that seems to be the way he likes it. This is, afterall, somebody who once used the services of a Toronto public relations consultant to cultivate his image. He was a good student. Just look at the arrest at his British Columbia home.

He was invited by the RCMP to turn himself quietly over to the nearby detachment. He would then be given a plane ticket to Toronto for his court appearance. Nope.

That wouldn't get much attention.

Instead, he forced the RCMP to come and get him.

And, he just happened to have about 75 friends over to the house that day. And they just happened to have signs that said things like "Pedophiles Go Free, Whistleblowers Like Perry Go To Jail" and "We Support Perry".

It was made-for-TV and news cameras. Canada's only honest cop being taken out of the arms of his family and whisked off to the local detachment in the backseat of a cruiser.

It just doesn't get any better (for the media). Of course, somebody made sure that the media were aware of the place and time of the arrest. Wouldn't want them showing up when it was over.

Nobody is clapping with glee over Perry Dunlop being tossed into the slammer for a couple of weeks.

It's hard on him, his family and friends. But he could have avoided it coming to this by testifying at the inquiry.

It would be hard on him?

Might have been, but certainly no harder than what some of the victims went through on the same witness stand. He owes it to them.

Like a seasoned army colonel told his untested battalion before the first big battle in the Vietnam War, "I'm not going to ask you to do anything that I'm not prepared to do."

Perry, you have failed all the courgeous victims who have appeared before the inquiry.

[theinquiry.ca note:  One of the many errors which has taken root via the media can be corrected. A person in attendance for the duration of the Duncan rally did a head count – at least 210 in attendance – not 75! I am told from other sources that some left before the mounties returned the second time.  Others arrived late.  But in total over 210 persons showed up to support the Dunlops – some were friends, others complete strangers who were outraged when they heard what was happening in the name of justice]