Meeting Between Priest And Alleged Victim In Inquiry Limelight

July 23, 2008 — A meeting between a monsignor and an alleged child sex abuse victim is raising questions at the Cornwall Public Inquiry. Ottawa priest Peter Schonenbach met with alleged victim David Silmser in 1992 after Silmser leveled child sex abuse allegations against a Cornwall area priest. Through an interpreter, Schonenbach testified about a letter he wrote to the local bishop's delegate who was responsible for dealing with those questions in the Alexandria-Cornwall Diocese. In the letter, Schonenbach wrote that Silmser seemed "like a credible person". (Hear audio clip below) Silmser is the man who accepted a $32,000 settlement from the church in 1993 and agreed to withdraw his criminal complaint against a Cornwall area priest

[ Transcript of audio clip: you know the type of detail that he gave me led me to believe that either this person is a true artist in terms of fabrication or he’s credible, and basically   he have me the impression of being a rather simple fellow, so I thought he was credible]