CANADA
The Ottawa Citizen
Bob Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, February 23, 2006
Cornwall's Roman Catholic diocese is expected to move today to stop an inquiry from looking into allegations that it failed to adequately respond to accusations of child sexual abuse.
Sources close to the inquiry said the church and at least two other parties with standing will argue the inquiry has no legal right to delve into the allegations and that the names of individuals named by the 48 alleged victims who have asked to testify should not be made public.
It is expected that the diocese will argue in a motion to inquiry commissioner Normand Glaude that the church is not a public institution and the inquiry's mandate, stated in the Ontario legislature, restricts it to an examination of public institutions.
If the motion is upheld, parties such as The Victims Group and Citizens for Community Renewal say the inquiry would become largely meaningless. Of the 48 allegations contained in sworn affidavits filed by the Victims Group, at least three-quarters involve priests engaged in parish work or education.