Time out

Perry Dunlop is a political prisoner. He has now spent 191 days in jail – on a six month sentence! – for civil contempt of court!!!

This is the institutional response to allegations of childhood sexual abuse.

****

Hearings resume at 0900 hours (9 am) this morning, Tuesday, 26 August 2008.  Note 9 am.  A little earlier because that is apparently when Bishop Eugene Larocque is at his best.

I spent the day in Cornwall yesterday.  Makes for an awfully long day but I had opportunity to go and gladly took it. I think I will head along tomorrow as well.  Up early to hit the road means little time for blogging but here’s a quick few words.

The transcript of Bishop Eugene Larocque’s testimony is posted.  Please do read it.

Quite a number of victims in the Weave Shed yesterday, all for various reasons interested in seeing Bishop Larocque on the stand.

As for the day itself, for Roman Catholics, another embarrassing show by one of the princes of the Church.  Truly and embarrassingly pathetic.

Some observations

(1) Larocque is at odds with former Chief Claude Shaver regarding what he, Larocque, told Shaver about the source of the David Silmer pay-off dollars.

Bishop Larocque claims it was $20,000 from the diocese and Malcolm MacDonald was to find the remaining $12,000.

Former Chief of police Claude Shaver has alleged both on and off the stand that Laorcque told him Father Charles MacDonald was to contribute to the pay-off and that the pay-off was comprised of the following:

$10,000 from the Diocese,

$10,000 from Father MacDonald

$12,000 from another unnamed source

Larocque insists:  “I don’t know where he [Shaver] got that because I have never said that.”

(2)  What a circus when it comes to Larocque tap dancing about what Father Charles MacDonald did or did not do to young lads.  We heard on the one hand that Larocque was aware of other  “victims” besides David Silmser, but on the other that he’s not aware that Charlie ever told him he had “assaulted” anyone “by force,” and we heard that on the one hand Larocque doesn’t believe a priest can have “consensual” sex with a teen, and on the other that when it comes to “consensual” sex with a “late teen”:  “I’m not so sure.”

Larocque stated his apparent belief that biblical millstones are for “paedophiles” –  not priests who molest teenage boys.

How pathetic.  How utterly and outrageously pathetic to hear this from a bishop of the Church.

How many times did Larocque rationalize Charlie’s sexual proclivities by saying or implying that the clerical atrocities perpetrated were “consensual”? Did anyone count?

(3) There was the odd Episcopal dump on Monsignor McDougald’s shoulders, and even the odd dump on the police.  With regard to the latter Larocque claims he departed from diocesan protocol and talked to Father Charlie personally because the police told him to!  And by the sound of it we’re going to hear he departed from protocol to speak to Father Rene Dube  – because, yes, the police told him to!

(4)  “It’s not in my character to lie.”

(5)  We heard Larocque talk about “so-called” victims.

(6)  We learned that around the time he was sent off to Southdown Charlie was living with Father Gary Ostler, the same Gary Ostler who urged Larocque to take in convicted clerical paedophile Carl Stone after the latter sodomized two teen brothers in the Diocese of Albany, N.Y.

(7) Ample doses of “I don’t remember” “I don’t recall,” “I suppose so,” and “I forget.”

(8)  And then, well, and then there was a little verbosity that sent Larocque’s good Windsor lawyer friend Frank Montello into virtual panic mode. At issue were the diocesan press releases issued in early 1994 when word of the pay-off leaked out into the public domain.

MR. ENGELMANN:      Sir, at this point in time did you end your retainer relationship with Mr. Leduc and hire another lawyer?

MSGR. LAROCQUE: Yes, David Scott of Scott & Aylen. I also, before this press conference, went to see the Acting Chief, Mr. Johnston. I had asked for an appointment to see if I could get him to reopen the criminal action and he said that I couldn’t do that; that it had to be done by the one who had launched the criminal action in the first place.

MR. ENGELMANN: The complainant himself?

MSGR. LAROCQUE: That’s right.

MR. ENGELMANN: All right.

MSGR. LAROCQUE: And I believe that Chief Johnston’s appointment book will show that I was there.

MR. ENGELMANN: So you engaged Mr. Scott and then you took a number of actions to try and correct what had happened?

MSGR. LAROCQUE: Yes, under his directions.

MR. ENGELMANN: And that would have included issuing yet another press statement?

MSGR. LAROCQUE: That’s right,

Montello was beside himself, frantically and vainly signalling time out.  Time out.  Time out.  Time out.  As he signalled and gesticulated in vain Montello rose from his seat, moved forward and headed from the bleacher seats for the floor, never for a moment taking his eyes off Larocque.  Then, and only then, did Montello realize others were watching 🙂  It was around that time that Larocque was explaining that the whole process had been “confusing” and “perplexing.” “ I was made a public fool by this whole thing..  .

(9)  Interesting.  Seems that Frank Montello, described by some sources as one of Windsor’s greatest criminal lawyers, is a bit of an actor.  In 2006 he was in the cast of Inherit the Wind.  More recently, witness the following,  he took part in the Actors Theatre of Windsor’s production of Twelve Angry Men:

University of Windsor Daily News

12 February 2008

Lawyers take to stage for jury room drama

All lawyers are actors, says Karen Momotiuk (BA 1993, LLB 1996), “whether they admit it to themselves or not.”

That’s why it makes sense to stage a reading of the courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men with a cast made up mostly of lawyers.

The Actors Theatre of Windsor will present a benefit production this Friday, February 15, at 8 p.m. in the St. Clair Centre for the Arts’ Chrysler Theatre, 121 Ferry Street.~ Proceeds will benefit the theatre company, the Windsor International Fringe Festival, the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, the University of Windsor law school, and the Centre for Studies in Social Justice.

“I like getting involved when it benefits the Windsor community, and the law school,” says Momotiuk, alumni and development officer for the Faculty of Law. “I’m the only woman in the show, playing the judge. (Director Mona el Baroudi) and I couldn’t resist the urge to have a woman be the first one to instruct the 12 men.”

Besides Momotiuk, the cast features a number of people with UWindsor ties, including professor emeritus Howard Pawley, law professor Larry Wilson, and alumni Jay Armeland (LLB 1980), Kenneth Golish (LLB 1978), Peter Hrastovec (BA 1979, LLB 1982), David McNevin (BA 1992, LLB 1995), and Frank Montello (BA 1952). Michigan lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate Geoffrey Fieger is a special guest star turn.

Tickets range from $15 to $40. To order, phone the Chrysler Theatre box office at 519-252-6579.

Here’s the interesting part.  The mission of the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre is as follows:

About the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Essex County (SACC): Our mission is to aspire towards the eradication of sexual assault and sexual abuse from our society and promote the optimum services for victims of sexual violence in our community through education, advocacy and support and counseling services. S.A.C.C. strives to: provide crisis intervention and trauma counseling that empowers victims of sexual violence; provide sexual assault and sexual abuse information in order to improve attitudes towards victims; Ensure adequate community services are available for victims; and work towards the prevention of sexual violence in our society.

🙂

****

Rally at the Weave Shed

Don’t forget the rally at the Weave Shed, 8:30 to 9:30 am this Thursday, 28 August 2008.

Date: 28 August 2008 (Thursday)

Time: 08:30 – 09:30 am

Place: The Weave Shed

709 Cotton Mill Street , Cornwall, Ontario

Bring your signs.  This is your chance to say what you have to say or have been wanting to say.

****

03 September 2008: Osgoode Hall, Toronto.

Perry is scheduled to appear before Ontario Divisional Court judges for sentencing on his criminal contempt conviction. (He will have completed his first six month sentence for the civil contempt conviction – and then some. Justice Glaude and the office of the Ontario Attorney General want him sentenced to 15 months on the criminal contempt conviction.)

****

Enough for now,

Sylvia

(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)