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	The $53-million Inquiry Offered No Answer on Existence of Alleged Pedophile Ring! Seaway News December 24, 2009 http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/article-415034-The-53million-inquiry-offered-no-answer-on-existence-of-alleged-pedophile-ring.html Some critics argue the $53-million plus spent on public inquiry into sexual abuse in Cornwall area may have been better spent on establishing a first-class hospital or a new ultra-modern arena and community centre. The cost of producing a more than 2,000 page report, which was four years in the making, could mushroom by millions more if any of the 234 recommendations in the report by Justice Normand Glaude are implemented by the government. The chances are very few that the recommendations will ever be implemented by the government. However, the government will have to implement some recommendations to avoid more criticism. I was stunned that Justice Glaude did not make a final pronouncement on whether a pedophile ring ever existed, in his final report. He emphasized the issue was not fully explored and it was not within his mandate to make such a finding. I thought this was the main basis of this most expensive inquiry in Ontario’s history. Justice Glaude stressed the inquiry determined there were “systemic failures” in the institutional response to allegations of sexual abuse. It seems the inquiry was without any focus right from the start. The Ontario government has learned a big lesson from this and hopefully it will be more cautious when launching other inquiries like this. The province apologized for the systemic failure and to those affected as a result of these events. The probation office, the Catholic Church and police are all guilty of failing to investigate abuse claims properly, Glaude noted. The final report does not bring any relief for survivors, who have been robbed of their innocence and are still having a difficult time dealing with healing. Glaude heard testimony from about 175 witnesses, ranging from victims of sexual abuse to current and former officials at institutions including the Alexandria-Cornwall Catholic Diocese, the Ontario Provincial Police, Cornwall Police and the Ministry of the Attorney-General. A quick survey done by the local media said more than 80 per cent of the population said the inquiry was a waste of money. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher apologized to victims of clergy sexual abuse and offered to assist other abuse survivors with healing and reconciliation. However, the same news release issued by the bishop also disclosed that over the last few years, the diocese has settled 14 different lawsuits with victims of sexual abuse to the combined tune of about $1.5 million. Four other cases are still outstanding. Some of the cases that have been settled date back 30 to 50 years. I agree with Justice Glaude that some institutions did not know how to deal with cases of sexual abuse. Even if they had the expertise, they did not have the resources. For instance, the local Children’s Aid Society had a staff of 23 in 1976. Today, it has a staff of 138. One of the biggest losers in this saga was the community of Cornwall, whose image has been badly tarnished by claims of sexual abuse and the allegations of a pedophile ring operating in the community. It will take many years to correct this image. Let us hope Cornwall can become a beacon of hope for other communities, like Justice Glaude stated. This was the longest and the most expensive inquiry ever held in Ontario and perhaps Canada! When the inquiry was launched in February of 2006, it was generally believed it would end in a matter of months. The months dragged into three years and could have gone on for a few more months had the province not handed down an amendment order-in-council that mandated strict deadlines for the inquiry. Cornwall or the friendly city has long been rocked and plagued by allegations of sexual abuse of children at the hands of some of the city’s most prominent men, including officials and lawyers and the clergy from the Catholic Church. One thing is certain the Ontario government has learned a big lesson from inquiry. In future, the province will pay more attention at setting up strict deadlines and strict rules on who should be heard and how long the inquiry goes on. It also remains to be seen how the province will deal with the final report. Many innocent people were dragged into the inquiry. The four-year Project Truth investigation, initiated by the Ontario Provincial Police, found no evidence of any pedophile ring. Project Truth did charge 15 men with 115 sex related crimes. However, only one man was convicted. A former Cornwall police officer Perry Dunlop was instrumental in getting some of the claims investigated. Several suspects died before their cases were tried. Others were acquitted and some had charges withdrawn or stayed. Let us hope the government will promote an abuse awareness campaign across the province as well as increase the amount of abuse information taught in schools.
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