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	Victims Get Voice at Cornwall Inquiry Alleged Sex Abuse Victims to Speak Freely during Project Truth Testimony Ottawa Sun [Canada] May 1, 2006 http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2006/05/01/1559272.html CORNWALL - Men claiming they were abused decades ago by community leaders here have been allowed to speak freely at an inquiry examining how their allegations were handled. Commissioner Normand Glaude ruled Monday that he will allow their testimony, noting it is critical to the fulfilment of the inquiry's mandate that their voices be heard. A motion to exclude their testimony had been sought by a lawyer representing Rev. Charles MacDonald, a retired priest accused of being part of a group of pedophiles that allegedly victimized children for decades. Charges against MacDonald were stayed in May 2002 after a judge ruled his right to a speedy trial had been violated. MacDonald's lawyer had argued that allowing victims to testify about unproven claims would hurt his client's reputation. Another motion by the Catholic Church to exclude it from scrutiny at the inquiry was also quashed. The church's lawyer had argued that the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese was a community organization rather than a public institution, and therefore should not be covered by the inquiry's mandate. But Glaude disagreed after considering the objectives of the diocese, such as helping the poor, strengthening and promoting education, promoting community values, and the elimination of disease and sickness. Glaude said he must interpret his terms as broadly as possible to ensure the inquiry's mandate is fulfilled. The ruling means the inquiry can examine how the diocese responded to allegations of historic abuse and recommend ways the diocese can, and should, respond to such allegations in the future. The inquiry is examining how public institutions responded to the abuse allegations involving the Roman Catholic clergy and other prominent citizens. Police laid 114 charges against 15 men in the 1990s after a sweeping investigation known as Project Truth. Few of the cases ever made it to court, and police said they never found any evidence of a pedophile ring.
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