Halifax Sexual Abuse Claims Blog

May 7th, 2008

Psychiatrist Sued for Sex Abuse of Patient: Calgary

The Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons has released a decision that it has revoked the medical licence of psychiatrist Jeremy Roberts.

Roberts was accused of “professional negligence and sexual abuse.” A hearing found he had an inappropriate relationship with a patient that included sexual activity. The woman was not identified. The Alberta College’s policy regarding doctor/patient sexual contact can be found here.

The Calgary Herald has reported that the patient that filed the complaint has filed a lawsuit against Roberts seeking compensation for sexual abuse.

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May 6th, 2008

Indian Residential School’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Prepares for Hearings

by John McKiggan

The Canadian government has appointed Justice Harry LaForme, a senior Ontario judge and a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation in southern Ontario to head up a federal truth and reconciliation commission that looks into the abuse that occurred at Indian Residential Schools.

The commission is designed to provide those affected by the legacy of Indian Residential Schools with an opportunity to share their individual experiences in a safe and culturally appropriate forum.

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May 6th, 2008

Walk to Stop Child Sexual Abuse: Toronto

by John McKiggan

If you are in Toronto on June 1 and want to support an end to child sexual abuse, consider joing the Walk to Stop Child Sexual Abuse.

The walk is being organized by Youth Out Loud.

Here are some more details.

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May 6th, 2008

Preliminary Inquiry Starts for Priest Charged with Sexual Abuse: North Bay, Ontario

by John McKiggan

A preliminary inquiry has started for Bernard Cloutier, a Roman Catholic priest charged with sexually assaulting several young boys over a decade at various parishes in Northern Ontario.

It is alleged the incidents involving Bernard Cloutier began in 1974 and continued until April 1983. He has pleaded not guilty to the 22 charges he is facing.

The preliminary inquiry will determine if there is sufficient evidence for the charges to proceed to trial.

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May 5th, 2008

Diocese Ignored Sex Abuse Claims Against Priest: Vermont

by John McKiggan

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vermont has been sued over allegations that the Bishop ignored previous allegations of sexual abuse when the Diocese hired Rev. Edward Paquette.

In a trial that started this week, Monsignor John McSweeney, who was chancellor of the Vermont diocese and handled details of hiring priests for then-Bishop John Marshall in the 1970s, testified that he did not know about such allegations until he reviewed church documents recently.

The documents, which chronicle the steps the Vermont diocese took while considering whether to hire Paquette in 1972, include several mentions of the alleged misconduct in letters from out-of-state church officials to McSweeney.

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April 28th, 2008

Austrian Sexual Abuse Case Stuns World

by John McKiggan

I don’t normally blog about abuse cases outside North America but this horrible case just cannot go unmentioned.

Unfortunately, this case is just so profoundly disturbing, and so incredibly sad, that I cannot put how I feel about this into words.

You can click here or here for a time line.

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February 20th, 2008

Ex-Cop Facing Jail Refuses to Testify at Cornwall Ont. Sexual Abuse Inquiry

by John McKiggan

Perry Dunlop told the judge in charge of the inquiry into sexual abuse claims in Cornwall Ontario that:

“I will never go to that public inquiry in Cornwall even if you put a gun to my head,”

CBC news has reported that lawyers for Ontario’s attorney general and the inquiry commissioner offered Dunlop one last chance to testify before the inquiry on Monday, but he refused.

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February 19th, 2008

Cornwall Sexual Abuse Inquiry Wants Former Police Officer held in Contempt

by John McKiggan

Perry Dunlop will be in court tomorrow for refusing to testify at the Cornwall Sexual Abuse Inquiry into allegations of systemic sexual abuse. Lawyers for the Inquiry want Dunlop to testify about his investigation that uncovered the Cornwall sexual abuse claims or be jailed for contempt of court.

Fifteen years ago, Dunlop’s off-hours investigation of an alleged pedophile ring in which priests, politicians and business leaders in Cornwall, Ontario were accused of bizarre sexual rituals with young boys prompted a police probe dubbed Project Truth. In 1997, after four years of investigation, police laid 114 charges against 15 men. But only one person was every convicted of a sexual offence.

The Canadian Press has reported that lawyers for the Cornwall Inquiry want an example made of Dunlop for his refusal to testify.

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February 18th, 2008

Autistic Child who was Sexually Abused Files Lawsuit Against New Brunswick Government

by John McKiggan

A child who suffers from a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome was jailed, sexually abused and subdued with stun guns while he was in the custody of provincial authorities. The New Brunswick government is now being sued over its alleged failure to properly care for the boy.

A recent report by Child and Youth Advocate Bernard Richard, that I wrote about last week found gaping holes in the province’s support system for troubled children.

The lawsuit alleges that the boy was taken from his parents when he was 14 and placed in the protective care of provincial authorities.

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February 17th, 2008

Former Police Office Arrested for Failing to Testify at Sexual Abuse Inquiry

by John McKiggan

Perry Dunlop a former Ontario police officer who uncovered allegations of a pedophile ring in Cornwall Ontario was arrested his home in Duncan, B.C. on a contempt of court charge for refusing to testify at the Cornwall public inquiry looking into how authorities dealt with the allegations of a pedophile ring in the Cornwall area.

Dunlop has been credited with uncovering dozens of allegations of historical sexual abuse in Cornwall. He had stated that he had no intention of returning to the inquiry because he had lost faith in the justice system.

Dunlop was a Cornwall police officer in 1993 when he came across documents showing one alleged sexual abuse victim had received a $32,000 payout from the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese. The fallout from that discovery would eventually lead to the Ontario Provincial Police launching Project Truth the largest sexual abuse investigation in it’s history.

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