Does The Punishment Fit The Crime?

Commentary by Lorne Wiebe

06 March 2008

Cornwall AM1220

Our Cornwall news story last month read in part like this; "Police arrested a 25-year-old Columbian man and say they found over $40,000 in jewellery and also discovered he had multiple identities in the United States. At least one of the jewllery items was in fact stolen and reportedly worth $25,000. He was fined $1,000 and will spend over 90 days in jail." Our Cornwall news story yesterday read in part like this: "Perry Dunlop will spend six months behind bars for refusing to testify at the Cornwall Public Inquiry. Dunlop was also found guilty on a criminal contempt charge for ignoring a court order to appear before the inquiry." He could face up to 15 months in jail on that charge. Did Dunlop break the law? Yep. Does the punishment fit the crime? Only in Canada.

Comments posted on AM1220 website

Dunlop Sentence A Reflection Of Our Inaction

I’ll keep this short. I can’t say short and sweet because there’s nothing sweet about it. The whole thing is sick and totally shocking to think our legal system has deteriorated to a point as disgusting as this.

Perry Dunlop is spending six months and maybe more in jail for refusing to testify and the sex offenders, numbers unknown, are going free. This has to be the strangest situation in years. Some of those supposed sex offenders are probably viewing the whole situation from the sidelines and laughing their heads off. Now they know that since they may serve no time at all for being bad guys in the past they can attack again and nobody would believe it. Even worse new victims will feel so unprotected they won’t dare tell anybody for fear they won’t believe them either or will be beaten to a pulp by the offenders who warned them to keep quiet or else. That’s the way it was years ago and that’s the way it will continue to be.

We are all to blame because we are allowing it to happen. We are sitting back and saying nothing while Perry and his family, former victims and brand new ones do the suffering. It’s one big mess and it’s all our fault. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Bill LaSalle
Cornwall

Perry's Treatment Disgraceful

This is disgraceful. I don't usually get involved in other people's problems but this is an outrage. Perry Dunlop does what he feels is right in his heart, to bring such a discraceful situation to light. What does he get for it - Jail. What kind of message is this giving anyone else who wishes to come forward on anything? He was not a part of the problem, he was part of the resolution. What would he have to say on the stand that has not already been said by people actually involved in this disgraceful behaviour? Hasn't he been through enough? The treatment he received in Cornwall was terrible enough, that he had to move away, just to get peace of mind. Now this. The mighty hand of Cornwalls' elite reaches a long way.

Nancy Primeau
Cornwall