BishopAccountability.org
	Controversial Ex-Cop to Testify at Truth Inquiry By Terri Saunders Ottawa Sun September 11, 2007 http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2007/09/11/4487113.htmlbr> Cornwall — A former city police officer whose independent investigations sparked allegations of organized pedophilia and fabricated testimony has been summoned to testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry. Perry Dunlop and his wife Helen are expected to begin their testimony on Sept. 17, lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann said Monday. Almost from the moment the inquiry probing the institutional response to allegations of sexual abuse in the area was called by Premier Dalton McGuinty in November 2004, there has been speculation as to whether Dunlop would go before the commission. The speculation included whether Dunlop would tell his side of a decade-long story which featured himself, his wife and his brother-in-law, Carson Chisholm, as the main players. The testimony will likely take at least a week, Engelmann said. For the past 18 months, Dunlop's name has come up on a regular basis at the inquiry as witnesses came forward to testify about the abuse they said they suffered at the hands of a variety of authority figures, and about the institutional response to their claims. Many victims and alleged victims had some form of contact with Dunlop, his wife and other people close to the couple as Dunlop and Chisholm conducted their own investigations into the allegations. Dunlop and Chisholm even found themselves traveling to the United States on several occasions to interview people they considered to be either alleged victims or potential witnesses. Their stories would ultimately form part of the foundation of a belief that a group of prominent citizens — priests, lawyers, doctors, teachers and other professionals — were collectively and systematically sexually abusing children and had been doing so for decades. "(Dunlop's) testimony is very important to the inquiry," said Engelmann. "A lot of parties were asking for this and they asked us to take steps to ensure he did attend." While many witnesses said they had only minimal involvement with Dunlop, some have suggested the former cop was at the centre of a movement to embellish and even fabricate evidence presented to investigators looking into historical allegations of sexual abuse. In recent weeks, one witness said he felt pressured by Dunlop to make up allegations against a city priest, while another witness has testified he made up stories of having observed prominent area men involved in a bizarre sexual ritual involving young boys. In both cases, the fabricated evidence was contained in sworn statements taken by Dunlop and later handed over to investigators. "It will be good for the inquiry if he does testify," said Peter Manderville, an attorney representing the Cornwall Community Police Service at the inquiry. "We have heard evidence from people who worked closely with Dunlop and we believe some of the information we may get from him will go towards dispelling some of the rumours and innuendo that we've been hearing for some time," he said. Manderville said the police service, as well as other parties at the inquiry, would like the opportunity to put questions to Dunlop about the people he had contact with, the information he collected and things that may have transpired during his involvement. It's not known at this point whether Dunlop will have independent legal representation at the inquiry. Frank Horn, a lawyer acting on Chisholm's behalf, recently told the inquiry he was acting for Chisholm and members of his family, but said Monday he had not been asked by the Dunlops to represent them in any way.
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