The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ritual abuse hoax

"The Scandal of the Century"

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Quotation:

"The only sacrifices committed in the Saskatoon case were made by the officials who sacrificed the most elementary principles of justice on the twin altars of pop psychology and political correctness." 27

"They are children who were traumatized, in one shape or another, by their pasts. What is tragic is they didn't get the kind of help they needed. Will there ever be complete healing for these children? One said to me...'I wake up every day and I don't know how to tell you I'm sorry. I cannot release the guilt.'  I wish them the best.'' Pamela Shetterly, daughter of late Marie Klassen, one of the falsely accused. 28

Allegations of ritual abuse during the 1990s:

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is near the center of the heavily populated southern area of the Province of Saskatchewan. It is located some 186 miles (300 km) north of the states of Montana and North Dakota in the U.S.

During the 1990s, as the North American Satanic Ritual Abuse scare was winding down, two allegations of SRA materialized in the province. The other one was in Martensville, a small town just north of Saskatoon, and involved the Stirling family.

In 1987, three foster children under the age of 10 -- one boy and his younger twin sisters -- were placed in a single Saskatoon foster home. Michael Ross was found to have been sexually abusive to his younger sister, Michelle. He was removed from the family in 1989-SEP, and placed in a new foster home, headed by Lyle and Marilyn Thompson. Shortly after being relocated, he started to tell his new foster parents of bizarre child-adult orgies, baby sacrifice, ritual abuse, and bestiality against a group of 13 adults. He accused his former foster parents Dale and Anita Klassen, as well as Richard Klassen, Dale's brother, his birth parents, and others.  ₆ His tales were confirmed at the time by his sisters, who were moved into the Thompson home in 1990-MAY. Corporal Brian Dueck of the Saskatoon Police Service investigated the allegations and brought his findings to senior Crown prosecutor Terry Hinz. Hinz refused to have the adults charged because he felt that the police investigation was incomplete. The file was later picked up by Crown prosecutors Sonja Hansen and Matthew Miazga who proceeded with the case.

On 1991-JUL-10, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers arrested Kari and Richard Klassen in Red Deer, Alberta. Their three children -- aged six months, two years and eight years -- were seized and placed in temporary care. The Klassens were charged with sexually abusing the three foster children.  The children had stated that the Klassens and many other adults had forced them to consume blood, drink urine, and eat human eyeballs and feces. They were compelled to eat a neighbor's newborn baby who had been skinned, barbecued in the backyard, and buried. No body was ever found. They were forced to engage in sexual acts with both dogs and flying bats. Eventually, 16 adults were arrested and charged with over 70 counts of sexual assault, incest and gross indecency. Terry Hinz studied the file and found that there was no new information added since he had reviewed the case. One of the accused, Pamela Shetterly, said: "I thought these stories could well and easily....be sorted out. I thought there are ways to prove such things, and to me it would only be a matter of recourse once we were in the justice system.'' ₃

In a curious twist, on the eve of their trial in 1993-FEB, Klassen's father, Peter, agreed to plead guilty. He already had a previous conviction from years earlier for abusing children. In exchange for his guilty plea in this case, charges against all but three of the other adults were dropped. Peter Klassen said "I was under pressure. I felt I had no alternative. I figured I'd take the fall and relieve (the other adults) of this." He spent four years in jail.

The charges against 12 of the 16 adults were stayed. The children's birth parents, Don Ross and Helen Ross, and their mother's 68 year old boyfriend, Don White, were tried and found guilty.  Dr George Fraser testified as an expert witness on Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) and Ritual Abuse (RA). He was allegedly a specialist in Recovered Memory Therapy (RMT) and Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) at that time, and headed the Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) unit at the Royal Ottawa Hospital, in Ottawa, ON. At the time of the trial, Dr Fraser and many other members of the International Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation (ISSD) believed that MPD was often caused by Satanic, sadistic or ritual abuse to young children.  The three defendants were found guilty. The boyfriend took polygraph test at the time which allegedly raised serious doubts about the circumstances surrounding the conviction. His conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1996. Retrials of the birth parents are ordered. The Crown did not proceed with the retrials, claiming that the children would be excessively traumatized by the experience.

The Klassens were harassed frequently. Rocks were thrown through their windows more than once. Someone broke into their home and painted graffiti on their cupboards and walls.

Richard Klassen started a decade-long battle to clear his name and those of the other adults who had been implicated. He put up posters in downtown Saskatoon. He staged a protest in front of the local courthouse.  Police charged Klassen with defamatory libel in 1994. He defended himself in court and was found not guilty.

A decade after the alleged crimes, the children who accused the Klassens and other adults have become young adults in their 20's. They have all stated publicly that they lied to investigators, and that they had admitted this early in the investigation. They have also claimed that the prosecutors have known the truth: that there was no Satanic cult; there was no ritual abuse. The only abuse was by the 11-year old boy who had victimized his twin sisters.

According to recently filed court documents, one Crown prosecutor had "lost faith" in the children's stories, while another flatly stated charges should not be laid. Another document states that evidence was withheld from the defense. Still another shows that the lead police investigator felt he was being rushed in his investigation. It is reasonable to assume that government officials will do anything they can to avoid a public inquiry.

On 2000-NOV-29, following an investigative article in the Star Phoenix newspaper, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) program Fifth Estate broadcast Klassen's story to a national audience.

Klassen's case, often called the "Foster  Child Case," and the "Scandal of the Century," is almost identical to the "Martensville Nightmare." In both instances, dozens of charges were laid; Satanic Ritual Abuse was believed to be involved. There was no physical evidence of abuse. The alleged abuse also happened in the early 1990s when hysteria over abusive Satanists was at its peak. A key difference is that in the Klassen case, the three children who made the allegations of abuse subsequently admitted that they were lying.

2003-SEP lawsuit:

Richard Klassen launched a $10-million lawsuit (Canadian funds; then about $7 million US) on behalf of himself, his wife and ten other adults who had been arrested. The suit charges malicious prosecution against him and the other adults. Klassen said that the police, Crown prosecutors, and therapists knew the foster children were lying and that charges should never have been laid. He said: "(The Crown) had no evidence. They had no case...A lot of damage was done. Things will never be the same." Richard and the other adults seek financial compensation, an apology, and a public inquiry. Meanwhile, the defendants claim that they were just doing their jobs. They have launched a counter-suit which will be heard later.

Richard Klassen is representing himself in the lawsuit. Robert Borden and Ed Holgate are the lawyers for the remaining 11 plaintiffs.

Justice George Bayton, is presiding over the trial by judge. He said: "The subject matter of the trial pertains to a series of events that have taken place over a decade. The factual and legal issues raised by the litigation are complex and convoluted."

Don McKillop, a Justice Department lawyer, is representing four of the defendants He said that: ''My clients are on the record as having denied being liable to the plaintiffs and that is the position we take into trial. We hope that is the position that will prevail.'' ₅

	2003-SEP-8: Testimony began in the lawsuit against two Crown prosecutors, the estate of the prosecutors' former boss, a Saskatoon police officer (Brian Dueck), and a therapist (Carol Bunko-Ruys). It was originally expected to last until at least SEP-26. One of the adults who had been accused of ritual abuse, Pamela Shetterly, said that her mother had urged her children from her deathbed to prove that the allegations were unfounded. She said: "My mother's dying words were, 'Clear our names'...If it's the last thing we can do, we will do that.'' During court testimony, Shetterly said that her mother was accused of chasing a child down the street, dragging him home and forcing him to perform sexual acts. At the time, the mother was disabled and needed a wheelchair, a walker, or a motorized scooter to get around.
	SEP-8: Richard Klassen, said "I'm tired....I'd like to just get this over with. I'm confident that we will win. And then I'd like to move on. I want to get on with my life. I want to take my family away from this province and I never want to return.'' 3
	SEP-11: A lengthy videotaped statement was shown. It had been recorded by Michelle Ross in 1990, when she was eight years old. She said that her birth parents stuck knives into a baby boy and girl while she watched. She said: "The baby screamed and yelled and tried to kick her in the stomach." On the tape, Michelle was asked to reenact the crime. She was given a toy knife and a doll, which she undressed. She made stabbing motions toward the doll. She explained that the victims' bodies were cut up, placed in boxes, and buried in the garden. She said that she recalled going with her mother into the garden, even though she was only two at the time. [In the early 1990s, many therapists believed that people could be encouraged to recall memories as early as their birth. Some even believed that a person could recall being stuck in her mother's fallopian tube some 9 months before birth. Memory researchers have long taught that childhood memories at the age of three are almost never retained in memory. Valid recall of memories before 24 months of age are unheard of.] Michelle said that the family of one of the sacrificed babies were angry when they heard of the murder of their child. However, they still came over and attended Michelle's third birthday party. Michelle, now in her early 20s, testified in court that the stories were untrue. She made them up because her older brother, Michael, pressured her and convinced her that the events really happened. She explained that it was her brother Michael, not a group of adults, who was sexually abusing her. She testified that many officials knew this, but did nothing.  Michelle read a letter that she had written to therapist Carol Bunko-Ruys at the time. It said, in part: "...he gave me a threat. The threat was this -- that if I told on him he would put me in a high, high tree and cut the tree with an axe and make me bruise my body." She testified: "I was raped by my brother, not by all these other people I said I was. I want people to know that." 7 Unfortunately, her letter did not seem to have an impact on the therapist or police officer investigating the case.

Marilyn Thompson was the foster mother in Warman SK who looked after the three children after they were removed from the original foster home. She and her husband could not be located to testify at the trial. However, her notes indicated that the had sat down with the three children more than twenty times. She collected 90 pages of notes, much of it involving allegations of child abuse at the hands of various adults. Other notes alleged that Michael was repeatedly sexually abusing his sisters. Yet the three children were kept together in the foster home. The Star Phoenix newspaper stated that: "She details frequent oral sex and intercourse taking place between Michael, 11, and Michelle, 8. Michael won't have sex with Kathy, also 8, 'because he says he's afraid Kathy will let out a big scream'." ₈

	SEP-15: Michael Ross, now in his mid-20s, testified that he had lied during the 1990s because of his anger against his former foster parents, the Klassens. He is reported as saying: "I was angry. That's why I started telling stories and stuff...."I was feeling abandoned by [the Klassens]. I didn't know what was going on....I didn't like that at all. I thought a family was supposed to stick together." Referring to his two sisters, he said: "I wanted them to come live with me (so) I said I felt they were unsafe at the Klassens...I didn't care who I hurt'." Some videos, taken during therapy, were shown during the trial. In one, the therapists asked Michael why he was so tired, and what he was doing the night before. He said "Me and Michelle were s-c-r-e-w-i-n-g," spelling out the last word. 9
	SEP-17: Court of Queen's Bench Justice Ellen Gunn testified. She was the director of public prosecutions in the province at the time that the 16 adults were charged with more than 70 counts of incest, gross indecency and sexual assault in the "Scandal of the Century." She testified that she had absolutely "no memory" of the case. Notes that she kept at the time recorded two phone calls with prosecutor Matt Miazga in 1991. However, she did not record details of the conversations. She testified: "I have no memory of the conversations which led to those notes being made, and I have no other memory of having any information about this case." 10 A reporter for the Star Phoenix newspaper wrote that Justice Gunn's "...total lack of recall about this case seems odd....Odd thing about memory, huh?" 11
	SEP-18: Terry Hinz testified. He was the original Crown prosecutor of the case and is now retired. He said that he had refused to pursue the case because the investigation was incomplete. He speculated that his colleagues proceeded with it because of "political pressure" from Regina to take take it at least to a preliminary inquiry. 11 Hinz said: "I was completely floored when I read the documents. It made me feel I was transported back into the 17th century reading about the Salem witchcraft complaints. I had a file with inconsistencies, bizarre allegations and no corroboration." He handed the case back to Corporal Brian Dueck, saying: "Where are the bodies? find me the bodies." Dueck allegedly replied that "these cultists were too cleaver." They would have long ago disposed of the babies. He testified that he had asked Dueck to search police records to see if any children in the neighborhood had died or disappeared. Dueck allegedly explained that these cultists work with "brood mares" -- women who gave birth to children specifically so that they can be sacrificed. The births are never registered. They would have been impossible to trace. 4
	SEP-23: Evidence revealed that Dr. Joel Yelland had written in a 1991 report that young Michael Ross "had sexual activity with his younger sisters." When asked by defense lawyer David Gerrard: "Did you believe what the children were telling you?," Yelland relied, "Yes. Absolutely." 12

Earlier in the trial, the first foster mother, Anita Klassen, testified that she had learned of Michael's abuse of his sisters, and that she had informed the Department of Social Services. However, they initially made no move to separate Michael from his two sisters. They simply advised her to buy an alarm for his door. This was not effective. Eventually, Michael was removed from the home. ₁₂

	SEP-24: Richard Klassen testified about the arrest of himself and his wife Kari. 13
	SEP-25: Judge George Baynton criticized the lawyers involved for their lack of communication. He said: "I have heard a fair amount of duplication of evidence. That takes up time." Judge Baynton reserved his decision on whether to grant the plaintiffs access to social workers' files in the case. Richard Klassen argued it is a necessary piece of the puzzle to prove malicious prosecution. But government lawyer Lori Sandstrom-Smith said it would "jeopardize the safety of children in this province" if the records were opened. She argued that children and families would not disclose sensitive information for fear it might become public. 14
	SEP-26: According to a 1990 foster home investigation report, Sergeant Ronald Schindel had interviewed Michael Ross about allegations of sexual abuse. Schindel testified in court that he no longer has his handwritten notes and cannot recall the interview. He said that he would have kept the notes for seven years and then they would have been destroyed. He also was unable to recover the report that was filed on the interview. 16
	SEP-29: Two videotapes were played of 1991 interviews between Brian Dueck, a police officer, and two women who was suspected of engaging in ritual abuse of children. In the first tape, Dueck allegedly continued with the interrogation, even after the woman asked for a lawyer. He said "I believe what these children told me. You do not lie about things like that." She offered to take a polygraph test to prove her innocence. The second tape showed an interview with Anita Klassen. She allegedly repeatedly asked for a lawyer, but questioning continued. 17
	OCT-1: Lawyers for the defendants initiated a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed. They said that the police, prosecutors and therapist were simply doing their jobs. Lawyer Don McKillop said: "What we do have is an absolute lack of evidence" of malicious intent on the part of the defendants. He noted that none of the justice officials made up stories of abuse; that was done by others. The other lawyer for the defendants said that, in hindsight, some decisions might have been bad, but that is a long way from proving that officer Dueck and others acted maliciously. Because of the massive evidence in the case, the Judge is expected to take many days to decide whether the case should be dismissed. 18,19
	OCT-28: Justice George Baynton issued a 44 page ruling denying the request by the defendants to dismiss the case. He wrote:  "Lacking a proper or at least more thorough investigation of the horrendous and serious allegations made in this case against so many individuals, I am satisfied that a reasonable person could conclude, in these circumstances, that the plaintiffs were probably not guilty of the host of serious offences alleged against them." He concluded that a reasonable person would conclude that Dueck and Bunko-Ruys "had malice" in the prosecution of the case. He noted that the investigators had exhibited "tainted tunnel vision" that resulted in the prosecution continuing even though there were obvious signs that "the allegations were fabrications made by very disturbed and abnormal children." Justice Baynton said that the mental and emotional state of the Ross children, who had numerous behavioral problems, and the fact that many of the plaintiffs offered to be interviewed without lawyers and even offered to take a polygraph test, should have thrown up a "warning flag" to investigators to look for things that might discredit the Ross's bizarre allegations. He agreed to dismiss charges against Quinney, having concluded that he had acted with negligence but not with malice. 20
	OCT-29: Defendant Brian Dueck testified that during the 1991 investigation, he was following a widely recognized protocol to always believe children's sexual abuse disclosures. He explained that he was carrying a "huge" workload of complex cases and had little prior training for the sensitive interviews that he performed. He mentioned that he had attended three conferences sponsored by outside agencies regarding Satanic cults and the incidence of Satanic Ritual Abuse of children. During the 1980s and early 1990s, many such training courses were given to police forces. Very little of the content of these courses bore any resemblance to reality. 21
	Early November: According to the StarPhoenix, defendant "Bunko-Ruys advised her lawyer...that she will not testify" in the case. Another defendant, Crown prosecutor Sonja Hansen, "told court on Wednesday she still believed the substance of the allegations of sexual abuse that siblings Michael, Kathy and Michelle Ross were making against their foster parents, Dale and Anita Klassen, and members of the extended Klassen family." Meanwhile, the defendants are countersuing Richard Klassen for defamation of character. Justice George Baynton will next hear evidence in that suit, followed by final arguments from both sides. 22
	DEC-24: Judge George Baynton had hoped to release his decision by Christmas. However, the sheer complexity of the case, involving thousands of pages of documents and dozens of hours of taped interviews, made this impossible. A decision is expected on DEC-30. 23
	DEC-30: According to the Globe and Mail newspaper, Judge George Baynton ruled: "...that Superintendent Brian Dueck, Crown prosecutor Matthew Miazga and child therapist Carol Bunko-Ruys had maliciously prosecuted a dozen people involved in the case. He wrote: "The case was labeled by the media as the 'scandal of the century.'  The real scandal, however, is the travesty of  justice that was visited upon 12 of those individuals, the plaintiffs in the  civil action, by branding them as pedophiles, even though each of them was innocent of the horrendous allegations and criminal offences charged against them." Judge Baynton dismissed claims against Crown prosecutor Sonja Hansen. He will decide damages and costs at a later date. 24 The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, featured the case on their front page for 2003-DEC-31. Graeme Smith wrote: "The first effect of the decision, Mr. Klassen said, is that he might finally get some sleep. 'My wife and I are going to bed,' Mr. Klassen said in another interview yesterday. 'You're talking to a man who's been up for 36 hours.' His family already feels less burdened by the stigma they have carried for years, he said. 'To be called a child molester in 1991 was devastating, and it was something that never went away. It's something that lasted for 13 years, and today is the first time we have ever officially been vindicated'." 25  Doug McKillop, a government lawyer, said on CTV News: "an appeal from this decision on behalf of the unsuccessful parties is a possibility. That's something that will have to be considered."26 Negotiations are expected in early 2004-JAN to settle on an amount to be paid to each plaintiff. If no agreement can be reached, a judge will order the amount. 27
	2004-JAN-7: Chief Russell Sabo of the Saskatoon police department read an apology at a press conference. He said: "The judgment in this case vindicates the plaintiffs for the criminal charges they faced. Based on the information contained in the judgment, as the chief of police of the Saskatoon police service, my sympathy goes to each and every person that was wrongfully charged and I extend my apologies to them for any part that the Saskatoon police service played in this case." Richard Klassen said that the apology was a good start to the healing process. However, he still wants to hear an apology from officer Brian Dueck, the lead investigator in the case. Chief Sabo has appointed an independent lawyer to review the case to determine if there were violations of the police act. 29
	JAN-24: The province announced that it will appeal Judge Baynton's judgment rather than settle with the plaintiffs. They are also appealing Baynton's dismissal of a defamation lawsuit that Crown prosecutor Matthew Miazga and Crown prosecutor Sonja Hansen had brought against Klassen. David MacLean, provincial director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, said that the government should "... cut their losses and end this process right now....It's a terrible waste of tax dollars... This situation has taken on such great significance in this province. The longer it continues, the worse it gets, and the people of Saskatchewan want to forget this and move on." 30 In the meantime, the wrongly accused have been given an interim payment of $1.5 million in Canadian funds (approximately 1.1 million dollars in U.S. funds).
	JUN-23: Richard and Kari Klassen have agreed to a financial settlement with the provincial government. The agreement does not allow the amount of the settlement to be revealed. Mr. Klassen said on JUN-22: "Kari and I have stated we wanted out and we're getting out. I don't want anything to do with it any more. I'm so glad it's over. Holding in that kind of animosity was killing me." 32
	JUN-25: A settlement was reached between the province and the remaining ten individuals who were maliciously prosecuted by Saskatchewan justice officials. Again, the amount of the settlement is confidential. They will also receive a letter declaring their innocence. The Saskatchewan News Network reported that the government was initially offering 100,000 to each of the plaintiffs, whereas they were seeking 1.4 million each.
	JUL-19: Police Superintendent. Brian Dueck dropped his appeal of the 2003-DEC decision that he had maliciously pursued the case of child abuse against Richard Klassen and 11 members of his family. The appeals by child therapist Carol Bunko-Ruys and the lead Crown prosecutor, Matthew Miazga, are scheduled to be heard in the fall. 33
	SEP-11: Saskatoon Police Services Supt. Brian Dueck wrote a letter to the 12 members of the Klassen and Kvello families that said, in part: "I acknowledge and accept, based on the information and evidence now available to me, that all Plaintiffs in the above-described action were, and are, innocent of all criminal-related charges that the plaintiffs faced." Similar declarations had been made by Crown prosecutor Matthew Miazga and therapist Carol Bunko-Ruys. 34
	2009-NOV-06: In a 7-0 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Crown Prosecutor Matthew Miazga did not maliciously prosecute the Klassen and Kvello families back in 1991. Justice Louise Charron, writing for the Court, said a finding of malice must meet a four-point test and the case against Miazga fell short. She wrote: "There is no question that the respondents were the victims of a clear miscarriage of justice which undoubtedly had a devastating effect on their lives. ... Especially in the absence of an acquittal, it is often difficult for people wrongly accused of such crimes to fully regain their positions in society and free themselves from the stigma and trauma of those false allegations. The fact that we now know that the children's allegations of sexual abuse were false, however, does not provide the answer to whether the respondents' action in malicious prosecution against the Crown prosecutor can succeed. ... It is my view that there is no evidence to support a finding of malice or improper purpose. In light of the respondents' failure to prove malice, it is not necessary to determine whether there was a lack of reasonable and probable grounds to proceed at the time Miazga initiated the prosecution more than 18 years ago. ... Given that the children's allegations are now known to have been false, no useful purpose would be served by revisiting 'the facts' as they appeared at that time." The ruling will not affect the settlement payments previously made to the families. Jennifer Graham, writing for the Canadian Press, wrote: "Justice Charron said the sex abuse accusations had to be put in the context of the early 1990s. At the time, the rules of evidence had changed, eliminating the requirement for corroboration of unsworn evidence of children. There was also a prevailing and pervasive doctrine, now debunked but popular among child psychologists at the time, that 'children don't lie about abuse'." 35

References used:

1. Jason Warick, "Klassens await their day in court: A decade after the child abuse charges, they are getting a chance to clear their names," The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, SK), 2002-NOV-2, Page E1.
2. Jason Warick, "Crown lawyer had doubts about cult abuse charges: sources," The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, SK), 2002-NOV-6.
3. Julian Branch, "Saskatchewan hearing begins for 12 suing over false accusations of foster kid abuse," The Canadian Press, 2003-SEP-9.
4. Jason Warick, "Sex case likened to witch trials. Prosecutor thought case too weak to proceed," The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, SK), 2003-SEP-19, Page A1. Online at:  http://canada.com/
5. Tim Cook, "Saskatchewan civil trial begins for 12 people falsely accused of foster kid sex abuse,"  Canadian Press, 2003-SEP-7.
6. Seamus O'Regan, "Lawsuit begins in 'Scandal of the Century'," Canada AM TV program, CTV,, 2003-SEP-9. The program involved an interview with Richard Klassen.
7. Jason Warick, "Video details horrific claims at trial: Officials failed to investigate brother for abuse, victim says," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-11, Page A1.
8. Jason Warick, "Guardian knew kids were lying: Kids rewarded with fast-food, inquest hears," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-13, Page A1.
9. Jason Warick, "Ross admits 'telling lies'," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-16, Page A1.
10. Jason Warick, "Judge says she has no memory of Klassen case," The Leader-Post (Regina, SK), 2003-SEP-18, Page B2.
11. "Lack of recall remarkable," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-19, Page A12.
12. Jason Warick, "Doctor reported sexual activity between boy, sisters," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-24, Page A5.
13. Jason Warick, "Klassen details arrest before packed courtroom," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-25, Page A8.
14. Jason Warick, "Judge chides lawyers over delays in suit," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-26, Page B7.
15. "The Scandal of the 20th Century is leading to the Trial of the 21st," at: http://www.injusticebusters.com/index.htm/injusticebusters.htm
16. Lana Haight, "Police notes destroyed, trial told," The Star Phoenix
    2003-SEP-27, Page A1.
17. Jason Warick, "Questions persist after woman asks for lawyer," The Star Phoenix, 2003-SEP-30, Page A1.
18. Jason Warick, "Judge asked to dismiss suit: No evidence of malicious intent: lawyers,"
     The Star Phoenix, 2003-OCT-2, Page A1.
19. Jason Warick, "Judge ponders request to drop Klassen lawsuit," The Star Phoenix, 2003-OCT-4, Page A3.
20. Shauna Rempel, "Judge refused to dismiss lawsuit," The Star Phoenix, 2003-OCT-28, Page A1.
21. Shauna Rempel, "Officer believed kids abused, court hears," The Star Phoenix, 2003-OCT-29, Page A1.
22. Shauna Rempel, "Sex abuse allegations unreliable: prosecutor," The Star Phoenix, 2003-NOV-6, Page A14.
23. "Judge to deliver decision in Klassen suit next week," The Star Phoenix, 2003-DEC-24, Page A5.
24. Oliver Moore, "Klassen wins suit over malicious prosecution," The Globe and Mail, 2003-DEC-30.
25. Graeme Smith, "Abuse saga ends: 'We won, we won, we won'. Sask. judge finds Crown and others liable after 12 wrongly charged with sex crimes," The Globe and Mail, 2003-DEC-31, Page A1.
26. Tom Clark, Anchor, CTV News, CTV Television, 2003-DEC-30.
27. "Suffer the adults," The Calgary Herald, 2004-JAN-3, page OS06.
28. Tim Cook, "Struggle to clear Sask. family name took 12 years and much pain, says member." The Canadian Press, 2004-JAN-3. Online at: http://www.recorder.ca/
29. "Saskatoon police issue Klassen apology," CBC Saskatchewan, 2004-JAN-7.
30. Shannon Boklaschuk, "Crown may hire private lawyers in Klassen case," The Star Phoenix, 2004-JAN-24, Page A9.
31. Update to "The Scandal of the Century," Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2004-FEB-25, at: http://www.cbc.ca/
32. "Two maliciously prosecuted agree to compensation," National Post, 2004-JUN-23.
33. "Saskatoon police officer drops his appeal of malicious prosecution ruling," Canadian Press news wire, 2004-JUL-19.
34. Jason Warick, "Klassens, Kvellos declared innocent in writing," The Leader-Post (Regina, SK), 2004-SEP-11, Page B1.
35. Jennifer Graham, "Prosecutor not malicious in pressing satanic sex-abuse case: Supreme Court," Canadian Press, 2009-NOV-06. at: http://www.google.com/

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Copyright © 2002 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2002-NOV-5
Latest update: 2009-NOV-09
Author: B.A. Robinson