The Inquiry's Toll

Commentary by Lorne Wiebe

Cornwall News AM 1220

08 February 2007

Lorne WiebeThe Cornwall Public Inquiry is supposed to promote healing and foster a better understanding of how to deal with potentially similar abuse issues in the future. Instead, it seems to me there is a real possibility that the process could re-victimize the very victims it was supposed to help. Instead of giving them a voice, is it in fact, scaring away others who may have suffered abuse from ever disclosing it? If you've followed the testimony so far, you have watched the victims undergo very close cross examination. Can you imagine going to court to take on your abuser? Even though the Commissioner has said that the Inquiry lawyers are being sensitive, it is obviously taking a toll on the witnesses. Extreme care needs to be taken lest this thing go off the tracks. The last thing we need is an inquiry called to foster healing end up re-abusing the abused.