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Ritual/sexual abuse case in Cornwall, ON, Canada
Agitation and Investigations
Sponsored link.
The role of Garry Guzzo, MPP:
Garry Guzzo, is a MPP (Member of the Provincial Parliament) for Ottawa West-Nepean
(some sources incorrectly say Stormont-Dundas-Charlottenburgh).
Repeatedly, over a period of many years, Garry Guzzo had unsuccessfully asked the
Ontario Provincial Government to conduct a public inquiry into allegations sex-rings in
Cornwall. Solicitor General David Turnbull turned down Guzzo's request In late 2001-MAY,
stating that a public inquiry would jeopardize ongoing court prosecutions. Guzzo
announced that he would read a list of from one
to five names of alleged abusers in the Ontario Legislature, where he would have
immunity from prosecution for slander. These names are probably already well known to the
people of Cornwall.
An Internet site operated by Dick Nadeau contained many
statements by alleged victims.
"Some call Mr. Nadeau a hero who's unafraid to
challenge the rich and powerful. Others say he conducted a witch hunt in
cyberspace...Mr Nadeau does admit poor health contributed to the decision. The
stress of running the site, he says, has been hard on his heart."
He closed down the site voluntarily. 1 Nadeau is now the
defendant in a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Garry Guzzo later changed his mind
and has not revealed the names in the Legislature.
According to a report in the Globe and Mail, Guzzo:
"... told reporters later that since becoming identified with his
efforts to reveal the truth in Cornwall, people in other areas have been
contacting him. 'I've opened nine files with regard to allegations against
different police forces, but primarily the OPP...These files cover
activities in different localities,' he said. 'Of the nine, two are very,
very troubling.' " 2
The role of Perry Dunlop:
Dunlop was a police constable with the Cornwall Police Services. He was
chosen Cornwall Police Officer of the Year in 1987 and 1991. He heard of
allegations of sex abuse by a popular local Roman Catholic priest and a
probation officer nicknamed "Mr. Probation." His investigations learned that a
financial settlement of some type had been agreed to, and the abuse accusations
had been buried. He found that his police force was no longer investigating the
allegations.
He fulfilled his legal obligations by reporting the allegations to the local
Children's Aid Society (CAS). The Cornwall Police then charged him under the
Police Services Act for going to the CAS. A Board of Inquiry ruled in Dunlop's
favor. The Pollice appealed the ruling and the charges were dismissed.
5,6
On October 13, 2000, at the 9th Annual International Ethics Conference, Perry
Dunlop received the annual Ethical Courage Award -- the first Canadian to
receive the award. The citation read:
In 1994 ... Constable Dunlop found himself in a very unfamiliar position,
when he was charged with illegally revealing police information to a source
outside his agency. Specifically, after learning of a case of reported child
sexual abuse in which the alleged abuser was permitted to pay the victim a
sum of money in lieu of criminal charges, Dunlop asked why his agency was
not investigating the case or reporting the matter - as required - to the
appropriate child protective authorities. Despite being cautioned to stay
away from the case, Dunlop reported it to the Children's Aid Society; an act
which resulted in disciplinary charges from his department. He was twice
cleared of any wrongdoing, and a special task force eventually was formed to
investigate allegations of widespread child sexual abuse.
Because of his outspoken stand against official silence and inertia, Perry
Dunlop and his family were harassed and ostracized both in the community and
within his police agency. In July, 2000, Perry Dunlop resigned from the
Cornwall Police Service and moved with his wife and three children to
western Canada." 7
Project Truth:
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC):
"Initial police investigations found no wrongdoing, sparking the first
allegations of a cover-up. In 1997, a provincial police investigation called
Project Truth resulted in 114 charges against 15 men, including
doctors, lawyers and three Catholic priests. But only one person,
unconnected to the alleged sex ring, was ever convicted of sexual offences."
3
Project Truth was conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) from 1997
to 2001.
 | On 2001-AUG-22, OPP Detective Superintendent Jim Miller said that: |
"We've investigated every piece of information and every
allegation, and there is no evidence to support a criminal conspiracy or
any cover-up of a pedophile ring....I think a lot of it was speculation
and rumors."
Seven people remained before the courts or await trial. No more charges
were planned. Project Truth was closed. 4
A
statement prepared by the OPP said:
"There is nothing to indicate individuals operated in concert
with each other to commit offences.
Jim
Miller explained:
"In situations like this, when a child is involved, people get
uptight and speculate. Stories get going and the truth gets stretched a
bit."
| On 2001-AUG-24, Monsignor Donald McDougald, vicar-general of the
Roman Catholic diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, said: |
"It'll probably
never come to an end in the minds of some people who are willing to
believe the worst. It's a source of great anger in the minds of some of
us. I don't know what will ever bring it to rest."
| Michael Bryant, justice critic of the Ontario Liberal Party, said
that a public inquiry should be held to study the source of the
allegations and how the police handled stories about the ring. |
| Mr. Guzzo, initiated a motion in the Ontario legislature to set up a
commission "to inquire into how two police forces could have
[initially] missed the 115 charges." |
Guzzo said:
"They missed 115 charges the first time. It's possible they're
missing 115 again....Maybe it's time to wrap it all up and sweep it
under the rug...I don't know whether it's worthwhile pursuing. Maybe
it's something I have to take a look at...Clearly Ontarians are going to
want to find out the circumstances that gave rise to allegations of a
pedophile ring. The people of Ontario want to know what the hell
happened," he said. It's important to find out from the community what
they want...Surely, we're not going to ask victims to get to the bottom
of this through civil lawsuits."
| In 2002-MAY, a judge of the Superior Court of Ontario dismissed all
charges against the last priest who had undergone 50 hearings in five
years. Only one person was ever convicted: a bus driver. The judge found
that a local police officer had manufactured evidence and withheld
evidence from investigators. The media, which gave a great deal of
attention to Project Truth when it was in full swing, took little note
to the judge's ruling. |
References:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
- "Name and shame paedophiles website closed," AnaNova, at: http://www.ananova.com/
- Richard Mackie, "MPP defends plan to name names," The Globe and Mail, 2001-MAY-30,
Metro Edition, Page A8
- "Cornwall sex abuse inquiry set to open," CBC News, 2006-FEB-12, at:
http://www.cbc.ca/
- Ingrid Pertitz & Richard Mackie, "Police discount Cornwall pedophile
ring," The Globe and Mail, Toronto, ON, 2001-AUG-22.
- "Cornwall: The Inquiry," at:
http://www.theinquiry.ca/
- "Perry Dunlop," at:
http://www.theinquiry.ca/
- "2000 Ethical Courage Award," The Institute for Law Enforcement
Administration, at:
http://www.cailaw.org/
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Copyright © 2001 to 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2001-MAY-31
Latest update: 2008-FEB-20
Author: B.A. Robinson
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