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	Project Truth Head Extends Help for Abused Ottawa Sun [Canada] March 1, 2007 http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/BreakingNews/2007/03/01/3681383.html Cornwall — Counselling services for sexual abuse victims and their families being provided through an inquiry in this eastern Ontario city will be extended to at least 90 days after the commissioner's final report. Commissioner Normand Glaude said Wednesday there has been "overwhelming support" for the extension of counselling services, which were set to expire at the end of March. "This (extension) recognizes that people may need counselling for some time," said Glaude. It's not known at this point when the commissioner will deliver his final report. It's been suggested the inquiry probing the institutional response to reports of systemic child sex abuse in the Cornwall area will hear evidence at least through the early part of 2008. It's expected Glaude will take some time following the completion of evidence to compile his report. To date, 175 people have applied for counselling support. So far, the inquiry has approved $407,000 for counselling and $40,000 for travel costs in order to facilitate attendance at counselling sessions. Also on Wednesday, commission counsel confirmed David Silmser, a witness who took the stand in January, will not be able to return for medical reasons. On March 27, parties are expected to begin arguing about what to do with the evidence Silmser has given to date. A motion to completely toss out his testimony has not been brought forth by any party. In testimony Wednesday, Robert Renshaw mustered enough mental strength to keep from losing control of his emotions throughout most of his time on the witness stand. It wasn't until he started talking about the toll his decade-long journey through the justice system has taken on his family, and his relationship with his 11-year-old daughter in particular, that his tears finally began to flow. "How do I turn back time?" asked the 43-year-old man, his voice cracking and tears welling in his eyes. "How do I give back to my little girl all that time?" Renshaw said he's barely survived the 10 years since he first disclosed the alleged abuse and he's worried there's not much life left in him. "After all of you get a piece of me, what's left for my wife and for my kids?" he asked. "I feel like Humpty Dumpty and my wife is left to put the pieces back together again." After spending a day talking about the sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of a city priest and a city probation officer in the 1980s, Renshaw was asked if he had anything to add to his evidence and whether he wanted to make some recommendations as to how public institutions can better handle allegations of child sexual abuse in the future. Renshaw said he would like to see a system established whereby a victim of abuse can report a perpetrator without having to go through the court system such as a hotline as well as more training for police officers who investigate abuse allegations. Renshaw ended his commentary with a few words about Perry Dunlop, the former city cop who's credited by some people in the community with blowing the lid off decades of systemic child sexual abuse in the community, and his wife, Helen. "I want to thank Perry and Helen Dunlop for believing in me and treating me like a human being," said Renshaw. "Maybe he didn't play by the rules, but if he didn't do what he did, we wouldn't be sitting here and this stuff would still be going on." Next story: Budget crunch has school board crying for help
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