Perry Dunlop has been given until the day after Thanksgiving to decide whether to testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry into the response of authorities into allegations of child sexual abuse.

The former Cornwall police officer declined to testify before commissioner Justice Normand Glaude on Monday and Tuesday, because, he said, he'd already testified too many times over the past 14 years and does not trust the province's justice system.

Mr. Dunlop touched off a scandal when he went to the Children's Aid Society with a complaint by a former altar boy that he'd been abused by a Cornwall priest. He also conducted an investigation into allegations of a high-level pedophile ring in the city.

As a result, Mr. Dunlop, over several years, faced several charges under the police act, which were all dismissed, and was treated as a pariah by his fellow officers. Eventually, he left the force in 2000 and moved his family to British Columbia.

He and his wife, Helen, had declined invitations to testify before the inquiry and finally subpoenas were issued to force their attendance.

Mrs. Dunlop eventually agreed to talk to the tribunal about events surrounding the scandal and her family's part in it, ending her testimony Thursday.

Yesterday, (Friday) during a session that lasted about 15 minutes, Mr. Dunlop again refused to testify.

He and his wife were to fly back to B.C. yesterday (Friday) evening. Mr. Dunlop has been ordered to return to appear at the inquiry on Oct. 9 at 10 a.m.

In the meantime, Judge Glaude advised him to get legal advice on whether or not to testify "so whatever you decide is a fully informed decision."

It is important that Mr. Dunlop testify, the judge said.

He added that should Mr. Dunlop agree to speak, lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann would like to have time to prepare him for his appearance before he returns to Cornwall.

This would include showing Mr. Dunlop documents to be introduced, so that he would "not be blindsided" on the stand, Judge Glaude said.

"I will go back to British Columbia and see if I can find a damn good lawyer," Mr. Dunlop said.

He was told his testimony and cross examination would require seven or eight days.

Should he not testify, Mr. Dunlop could go to jail.

Judge Glaude said he is prepared to make Mr. Dunlop's return as easy as possible, paying for his wife to accompany him and for their children's care costs during their parents' absence.

The session, which began at 11 a.m. yesterday, adjourned at about 11:15.
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© The Ottawa Citizen 2007