Perry Dunlop is a political prisoner. He has spent 186 days in jail – for stepping up to the plate to protect children, and then daring to say he has lost faith in the justice system. This is the institutional response to allegations of childhood sexual abuse.
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The Freedom Ride has come to a startling and abrupt and hopefully temporary end.
Roger Roberston, the little man with the big heart, was handcuffed and taken into custody by Cornwall police this afternoon (Thursday, 21 August 2008). The details at this point are sketchy. As I understand it Roger has been arrested on an old fraud charge dating back to 2004. He is scheduled to appear in the Cornwall Courthouse tomorrow morning (Friday 22 August 2008).
Several important comments and pices of information here:
(1) Roger is one of many Cornwall children who had a sad and troubled childhood. He was placed in foster care as a small boy. For the time being I will tell you what I can.
Roger alleges that he and other young lads (many altar boys) were routinely taken to a place he calls “The Brothel.” In digging around I discovered that the Brothel is in fact a stately home in Summerstown, just East of Cornwall. The home was once the Juniorate of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.
According to Roger, at “the brothel” the boys were sexually abused by a number of prominent men in the community. They were threatened with the Alfred Training School if they failed to co-operate.
There were small treats for complying.
Some of the boys made summer trips to Florida in the company of some prominent men in the community. Apparently Roger never made the Florida trip but he can rattle off the names of several boys who did. In some instances the boys were allegedly accompanied by a priest.
The time frame was the 70s – probably early to late 70s.
According to Roger some of those who frequented the brothel were local priests, some more prominent than others, and young police officers, some now more prominent than others.
One well known clergyman was described by Roger as “the screener.” As Roger saw it the screener’s task was to screen the boys according to their ‘abilities.’ When the clerical ‘screener’ was unavailable the task was delegated to a non-cleric – one of Cornwall’s “alleged” paedophiles.
Roger alleged he was molested by a number of clergy and police officers and others. I know the names of a number of these men but not all.
(2) Roger was in Cornwall weeks ago. He called police to say he was in town. He was stopped by police at least twice. He talked to police. No mention then of fraud charges. That’s very important, i.e., Roger was in the Cornwall area for some time only weeks ago – police knew he was in the area and interacted with him – not a word about an old fraud charge then!
(3) Roger was arrested by two undercover police officers at the Tim Hortons in East Cornwall – the same place he rode into on his freedom ride yesterday mid afternoon. Roger had headed over to Timmy’s this afternoon with a man he fondly refers to as “Uncle Luke (Luc ?) When they stepped outside for a cigarette the police moved in.
One of the arresting officers was Gary Lefebvre, brother-in-law of D’Arcy Dupuis.
The officers were in an unmarked Pontiac SUV. The arrest was made in broad daylight and very publicly.
(4) Rest assured that an all-out effort is underway to destroy Roger Robertson’s credibility. I do believe that for many reasons it is imperative that Roger’s credility is hammered into the ground – a lot of “good” reputations are at stake.
(5) Roger wanted to take the stand and testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry. He was allegedly told by inquiry officials that he could “testify” in Phase 2!
He has no interest in Phase 2. He wanted to get his story out and he wants those who allegedly molested him charged.
(6) When you eventually hear Roger’s story all of this will start make sense! I hear bits for the first time when he arrived at my home on Thursday. There are more details I want to pursue and things I want to clarify, but what I did clarify was ‘the brothel,’ and the identities of some of the sexual predators who molested him.
(7) According to Roger, now deceased former Crown attorney Malcolm MacDonald used to show up at the brothel. Ditto now deceased probation officer Ken Seguin. Ditto, but with less frequency, Dr. Arthur Peachy.
(8) Yesterday Roger was in the mall. People were coming up to him and slipping him a $5 bill here, another $5 there. People were thanking him for what he’s doing.
(9) If there’s a benevolent benefactor out there somewhere I think Roger will need help with bail. I told you he is doing his Freedom Ride on wing and a prayer. All monies have gone to the trip to date. I am sure there is no money in their pockets for bail. If anyone can help out please show up at the courthouse or send me an email and we’ll take it from there.
(10) After talking to Roger for about half-an-hour after he arrived at my home on Tuesday afternoon and asking him a few questions I totally understood his passion and compulsion to drop everything and hit the road. I had no idea what his “story” was I heard just a little – I was dumfounded. But, instantly I understood. I told him so. I understand totally why he is driven to do what he is doing.
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Perry is still in Lindsay, Ontario. He is “en route” which means he can have none of his possessions. How long he stays in Lindsay “en route” to wherever is a secret. Perry has no idea. Helen has no idea. No one will tell. That’s top secret.
I had a chat with Perry this morning. As it happened two dear friends happened to be visiting with their grandchildren when the call came. The children, a boy and girl age about 7 and 5 respectively, know about Perry and pray for him every day. They said hello to “Mr. Dunlop” An exciting moment for them
Perry sounded good. He is coping very well under very difficult circumstances.
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Media articles are posted on New to the Site on the Home page. I have a friend preparing the CBC news clip of last evening for posting for me. Keep an eye. As soon as I have it I will let you know on New to the Site.
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I have been busy. I will post as I can and will certainly keep you abreast of any new developments.
Several days ago I said prayers are needed now more than ever. Indeed they are. Masses please. And prayers. There will be an all out effort to discredit Roger. It has barely begun.
Those free to witness the latest goings on in Cornwall and provide moral support for Roger and Patti please try to make it to the Cornwall courthouse tomorrow morning. It is so very important that there are witnesses, and it is so very important that Roger is not in there alone. It truly is time to stand up and be counted.
Enough for now,
Sylvia
P.S. There is no ring and there is no cover-up.
I am shocked and enraged! Roger Robertson has stepped up to the plate in a reasonable and quiet protest as to Perry’s unreasonable so-called contempt conviction. Who’s next on the hit list? I have never in my life heard of such EVIL maneuvers to shut someone up who knows too much or coerce someone to talk by jailing him for 6 months.
If Roger had fraud charges against him in 2004, then why wasn’t there a Canada wide warrant for his arrest and why wasn’t he arrested before this? Perry had a Canada wide arrest warrant against him for refusing to testify at the SHAM Inquiry and was harrassed by the RCMP here in BC until the arrest (out of the Province of Ontario) occured at his home in Duncan. Was Roger not residing in Calgary?
What’s the difference here?
Now, we have two messengers to shoot. One a victim of henious sexual abuse at the hands of clergy, POLICE OFFICERS and other prominent members of society and the other, an HONEST COP who had the concience to do the right thing when he discovered a cover-up by his own police force. How much more disgusting can it get?
We all know by now that the ‘Powers that be’ have alot to hide. This goes right to the top of Parlament Hill….can you just imagine what is at stake here? Perverts in Parlament!
Maybe it’s time there was a RIOT instead of a RALLY!
Perry was SO RIGHT in saying the justice system is toxic…it leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth doesn’t it?
Roger has struck a nerve. The old fraud charge is just a pretext or they would have acted on it two weeks ago. The lesson: if you want to call attention to the pedophiles of Cornwall you better be “Mister Clean” It is so important that people are not distracted by this arrest. What real crimes are going on while the police go all out to embarrass Roger so as to discredit him? This is a misuse of Police power to protect themselves and their influential clients. The Inquiry should free Perry Dunlop who doesn’t want to testify and let Roger testify – who wants to testify. They don’t want this because it takes thing out of their control and may go somewhere they don’t want to go. Let the inquiry be an inquiry and hear out Roger and then call the people he names for their side of it. Lets throw out the old script with the same old conclusion. The best movies are the ones where the ending isn’t so obvious that you know it from the beginning. When Roger and his wife drop everything to speak up for Perry Dunlop who arrested him twice !!! it rings true. This arrest is just a side show to distract the naive. Cornwall Police there must be some real crime you should be dealing with.
Yes, Roger hit a nerve…you are right Myomy! Take the spotlight away from Perry for the time being while he is shuffled from jail to jail. The bottom line is, Perry will do extra time until his so-called ‘criminal’ contempt charge morphed from the ‘civil’ conempt charge goes to court in September. This ‘sick’ scenario isn’t about to end just yet.
Aren’t fraud charges criminal not civil??? It seems to me that the OPP are into this up to their dirty little necks? Roger new full well what he may encounter when he hit Cornwall…interaction with the police happened as soon as he arrived…but, now that Perry is in the picture, and Roger is a ‘victim’ of sexual abuse and knows the names of his tormentors from so many years ago, don’t you think that the police want to clam him up any way they can and on who’s orders? He was told by the Inquiry that they ‘might use him later’ and blew him off like a blow-fly. Does one think the inquiry does NOT want to hear what he has to say???? I think not, better to arrest him now and shut him up on an old fraud charge. Who do you think ordered the arrest of Roger Robertson, an advocate for Perry Dunlop? My best guess is the Attorny General’s office of Ontario…after all, isn’t he running the sham here and doling out the paychecques for this charade? Orders from the top, so they say?
As Helen Dunlop stated at the last town hall meeting in Cornwall….”The truth will come out”.
The ending of this saga will be nothing you will expect, believe you me.
And remember, there is no cover up in Cornwall. There are no efforts to suppress the truth!