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Dunlop Neither Hero, nor Villain Says Man Who Sent Him to Jail By Mike Damour BC Local News December 17, 2009 http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/79453477.html Canada -- Perry Dunlop wouldn't talk to the Glaude Inquiry when it happened. And so far he's not talking to the News Leader Pictorial about the inquiry's findings either. Dunlop is the former Ontario cop now living in North Cowichan who went to jail rather than testify at the inquiry, which explored allegations of a widespread pedophile ring in the community of Cornwall. The ring theory is credited to Dunlop, who spent countless hours investigating the allegations while with the Cornwall police in the mid-1990s. He then continued to work on the case off-duty when a rift developed between him and his superiors about the way they reacted to his investigation. Last year, Dunlop spent seven months in jail for contempt rather than testify at the inquiry, saying he had no faith in the system. The $53 million inquiry that took four years to complete was released Tuesday. Commissioner G. Normand Glaude found the system of authority in Ontario failed to adequately respond to reports of sexual abuse by public officials and others in positions of trust. It states several institutions acted defensively, or in self-interest when confronted with the allegations, but also found no evidence of cover-ups or conspiracies. The report also states Dunlop's crusade to root out pedophiles began with good intentions, but his "leading interview techniques suggested a process to develop a narrative supportive of a desired theory." Many of Dunlop's allegations were based on interviews with Ron Leroux. Police said — and Glaude found — Leroux was not credible. He eventually recanted his allegations at the inquiry. Glaude wrote Leroux was a "highly suggestible individual who adopted ideas that one crusading police officer put to him as his own." He addressed Dunlop's role further during a 75-minute address Tuesday. "I have been asked to find that Perry Dunlop is a hero. And that he is a villain," the National Post reported Glaude as saying. "I do neither." "In reporting suspicions of sexual abuse by Father Charles MacDonald to the Children's Aid Society, Const. Perry Dunlop then acted in a manner consistent with his duty. His perception that his employers (were) unfairly sanctioning him because of this, led to a complete breakdown in trust between Const. Dunlop and justice institutions." But Mr. Dunlop's, "actions in conducting unauthorized investigations and the strained relationship with police and the ministry of the attorney general resulted in cases being stayed. "Wrongly, Mr. Dunlop had begun to act on the premise that the 'ends justify the means.' Mr. Dunlop's failure to . . . testify at this inquiry were the ultimate manifestation of this ingrained pattern of mistrust for justice institutions." Dunlop did not return News Leader Pictorial phone calls to his home yesterday asking for comment. The more-than-1,600-page report did not resolve the central question as to whether a pedophile ring existed. "Throughout this inquiry I have heard evidence that suggested that there were cases of joint abuse, passing of alleged victims, and possibly passive knowledge of abuse," Glaude wrote. "I want to be very clear that I am not going to make a pronouncement on whether a ring existed or not." Glaude made 235 recommendations aimed at improving the way Ontario authorities deal with similar allegations in the future. The Ontario Provincial Police spent four years investigating allegations of sexual abuse, an investigation Glaude criticized as being flawed. Police eventually laid 115 charges against 15 people under Project Truth. One person was convicted, and two committed suicide before going to court and police declared there was no evidence to support allegations a pedophile ring was at work. |
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