Ottawa Sun

15 February 2008

By TREVOR PRITCHARD, Sun Media

CORNWALL, Ont. — A supposedly botched investigation by city police into a December 1992 sexual abuse allegation wasn’t nearly as ineffective as an Ottawa police officer made it out to be, a public inquiry heard Thursday.

During his cross-examination of retired Supt. Brian Skinner, Cornwall police attorney John Callaghan suggested that lead investigator Const. Heidi Sebalj was a competent officer who worked hard to build a good rapport with the complainant, David Silmser, over the span of the nine-month investigation.

Skinner spent eight days in Cornwall in January 1994 exploring how the force handled Silmser’s accusations that he had been sexually abused by city priest Charles MacDonald and probation officer Ken Seguin.

While city police concluded there was not enough evidence to charge MacDonald, he was eventually charged by provincial police in 1996 with a number of sex-related offences during their Project Truth investigation.

Those charges were stayed in 2002. MacDonald has always maintained his innocence.

Seguin was alleged to have abused several young boys in the 1980s and 1990s. He was never charged and committed suicide in 1993.

One of the major criticisms in Skinner’s report, entered into evidence Wednesday, was that Sebalj was too inexperienced to head the investigation.

Skinner testified Wednesday that Sebalj had only been with the department responsible for handling sexual assault allegations for two months. One of the investigation’s major missteps, he said, was that Sebalj didn’t fully interview a former parishioner of MacDonald’s who said the allegations had hit “very close to home.”

On Thursday, Callaghan took Skinner through a series of attempts Sebalj made to get a statement from another alleged abuse victim, whose name is under a publication ban.

Sebalj’s notes showed that she made multiple phone calls to the man, visited him in person, and only gave up when his lawyer advised him he wouldn’t be making a statement to police.

“This is good police digging,” suggested Callaghan. “And she did a good job on this.” “I agree,” said Skinner.

The inquiry is examining the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area.

 'Cornwall police sex abuse probe was ineffective'

Daily South Asian Free Press

14 February, 2008 01:25:16

CORNWALL (Ont._ -- A former Ottawa cop says the investigation by Cornwall police into a 1992 allegation of sexual abuse was ineffective, but he didn't see any indications of a coverup.

Retired superintendent Brian Skinner testified at a public inquiry Wednesday that they were asked to look at how a sex abuse complaint against a city priest was handled in Cornwall.

He told the inquiry they were asked to look into whether there was evidence of a coverup by Cornwall police in relation to David Silmser's allegation against Rev. Charles MacDonald.

Silmser was offered a $32,000 settlement by the church in the early 1990s after bringing allegations forward.

Part of that agreement stipulated that Silmser was not to press criminal or civil charges in relation to the complaint.

Skinner testified Wednesday that the Cornwall police force's investigation was "inept'' and "ineffective.''

He was somewhat critical in his 1994 report, but he also wrote at the time that he saw an abundance of excellent police work.

Commission counsel asked Skinner if he believed there was any hint of a coverup, and Skinner said he struggled with that when he wrote the report. The inquiry is examining the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area. –The Canadian Press

Ex-Ottawa cop says Cornwall police sex abuse investigation was ineffective

Belleville Intelligencer

14 February 2008

A former Ottawa cop says the investigation by Cornwall police into a 1992 allegation of sexual abuse was ineffective, but he didn't see any indications of a coverup.

Retired superintendent Brian Skinner testified at a public inquiry Wednesday that they were asked to look at how a sex abuse complaint against a city priest was handled in Cornwall.

He told the inquiry they were asked to look into whether there was evidence of a coverup by Cornwall police in relation to David Silmser's allegation against Rev. Charles MacDonald.

Silmser was offered a $32,000 settlement by the church in the early 1990s after bringing allegations forward.

Part of that agreement stipulated that Silmser was not to press criminal or civil charges in relation to the complaint.

Skinner testified Wednesday that the Cornwall police force's investigation was "inept" and "ineffective."

He was somewhat critical in his 1994 report, but he also wrote at the time that he saw an abundance of excellent police work.

Commission counsel asked Skinner if he believed there was any hint of a coverup, and Skinner said he struggled with that when he wrote the report.

The inquiry is examining the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area.