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	Witness Says He Ferried Men to Homes of Alleged Abusers But at Least One Says the Allegations Are 'Crazy' By Terri Saunders The Standard-Freeholder [Canada] June 21, 2007 http://www.standard-freeholder.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=579812&catname=Local+News&classif= A number of prominent Cornwall men spent time at homes owned by a probation officer fingered as a child molester and a Crown attorney charged with sexual assault in the 1990s, a witness told the Cornwall Public Inquiry Wednesday. Gerald Renshaw said he personally observed priests, businessmen and police officers at the home of Ken Seguin in Summerstown and at Malcolm MacDonald's cottage on Stanley Island in the 1980s and 1990s. Seguin was a probation officer at the time who has been identified by a number of witnesses at the inquiry as a perpetrator of sexual abuse against young boys. MacDonald was charged with a number of sex-related offences in March 1999 by officers with Project Truth, an OPP investigation into child sexual abuse in the Cornwall area. MacDonald died in Florida in December 1999 before his matter could go to trial and Seguin committed suicide in 1994 before he was charged with any crime. On Wednesday, Renshaw testified he ferried people to and from Seguin's house and MacDonald's cottage and named several people he observed either at one or both locations, including current Crown attorney Murray MacDonald, Rev. Charles MacDonald, former Cornwall Police Chief Claude Shaver and city businessman Andre Pommier. "How often did you see Charles MacDonald there?" asked Peter Engelmann, lead commission counsel. "Once a week, twice a week," said Renshaw. "And Malcolm MacDonald?" asked Engelmann."At least that often," said Renshaw. "Charles MacDonald and Ken Seguin had known each other for quite a few years. They were very good friends." Contacted Wednesday afternoon and informed of Renshaw's allegations, one of the men named during testimony said he had no idea what Renshaw was talking about. "These guys are crazy," said Pommier. "I don't know Gerald Renshaw, I didn't know Malcolm MacDonald, I've never been to any of these places and at the time it's suggested I was, I was studying in Toronto. I wasn't even in Cornwall. "It's unfortunate that people can just say these things about prominent members of the community and drag them into this." Renshaw, who is now 41 years old, testified he was sexually abused by Seguin over a 12-year period when he was a teenager and in his early 20s. For about two years between 1987 and 1990, Renshaw actually lived in Seguin's house in Summerstown. He said while he was there, he observed other men, including former Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Bishop Eugene LaRocque, Rev. Kevin Maloney and former OPP and Cornwall police Inspector Stuart MacDonald. Former city cop Perry Dunlop interviewed Renshaw about his assertions during a meeting between the two men at the McConnell Medical Centre in January 1997. The site was chosen in order to ensure privacy, Renshaw said Wednesday. During the interview, Dunlop asked Renshaw if he believed the men who visited Seguin's house or MacDonald's cottage were acting in concert withone another. "Do you believe . . . there was a large group of . . . high profile pedophiles operating here?" Dunlop asked. "Very much so," Renshaw replied. During cross-examination Wednesday, an attorney for the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese questioned Renshaw about the fact he had no proof any of the people he says he saw at either location were doing anything wrong. "You don't have any first-hand personal knowledge of any wrongdoing by anyone at Ken Seguin's house or Malcolm MacDonald's cottage other than Ken Seguin," said David Sherriff-Scott. "Correct," said Renshaw. Also during cross-examination, Renshaw was asked by a lawyer representing the Ministry of the Attorney General to physically describe Murray MacDonald as he would have been during the late 1980s and early 1990s. "Was he a tall man?" asked lawyer Darrell Kloeze. "He was a bit taller than me," said Renshaw, who told the inquiry he'sabout 5' 9". "What kind of hair did he have?" asked Kloeze. "Was he bald?" "He had short hair," said Renshaw. "How old was he?" asked Kloeze. "He was in his 40s, I would say," said Renshaw. "If I told you that Murray MacDonald has testified that he was never at Ken Seguin's house or Malcolm MacDonald's cottage, what would you say?"asked Kloeze. "I wouldn't believe it," said Renshaw. "And if I told you that he has said he never socialized with them and he's never been there?" asked Kloeze. "I don't have an answer for that," said Renshaw. Renshaw said he observed pornographic magazines and video tapes at MacDonald's cottage and described the walls of a bedroom being "wallpapered" with pictures of nude men. "If the door to the bedroom was open, anyone could see it," said Renshaw. During cross-examination Wednesday, arguments were made as to whether lawyers can question Renshaw about statements his brother Robert Renshaw made in previous court proceedings in an effort to establish Renshaw's credibility. Sherriff-Scott attempted to question Renshaw about statements Robert Renshaw gave during a hearing related to a civil case in which Robert talked about having a criminal record and a drug and alcohol problem. Sherriff-Scott said the transcript of the hearing contains admissions from Robert Renshaw he received money from Seguin in exchange for sexual favours. Those statements were not put to Robert Renshaw when he testified at the inquiry earlier this year. Comm. Normand Glaude said he would not allow the witness to be questioned about the content of the statement. Sherriff-Scott will continue his cross-examination of Renshaw when the inquiry resumes Monday at 2 p.m.
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