Hesse: Carole Hesse

Carole Deschamps

Carole Hesse

Carole Hesse is the sister of the four Renshaw brothers, all of whom were “allegedly” sexually abused.  Hesse is the former Carole Deschamps.  Carole virtually raised the boys after her mother’s departure.   Because Ken Seguin was probation officer for her brothers, and because here brother Gerry Renshaw lived at Seguin’s waterfront home for two years, Carole came to know Ken Seguin well and often visited him at the waterfront home.

Carole saw  Claude Shaver, Malcolm MacDonald and Father Charles MacDonald at Seguin’s home.  She was told by Seguin that he and Father Charlie were lovers and also at another time that there was a sexual relationship between he and Malcolm.

Carole Hesse testified at the Cornwall Public Inquiry 22 October 2007

 22 October 2007:  Transcript of Carole Hesse testimony at the Cornwall Public Inquiry

STATEMENT

Carole Deschamps

550 Lemay Unit #4

Cornwall Ontario

My name is Carol Deschamps I am currently married with two children. I am a nurses aid (r.p.n.)currently attending college furthering my education.

I first met Ken Seguin twenty years ago or more when he lived in Riverdale. He  was probation officer to my brothers. I became good friends with Ken Seguin and over  the years I attended his residence often to visit Ken and to visit my brother Gerry Renshaw when he lived at Ken’s in Summerstown.

I remember one particular time when I went to Ken’s home in Summerstown I observed Claude Shaver and Malcolm MacDonald visiting at Ken’s. The two of them were in the process of leaving and I had to move my car so that they could get out. The time that I saw Claude Shaver and Malcolm MacDonald would have been when Ken first bought the place in Summerstown.

Malcolm MacDonald was always at Ken’s house. Malcolm is a lawyer who has represented my brothers. I have known Malcolm as long as I have known Ken.

Father Charles MacDonald was there almost everytime that I would show up. We would joke about him being a part of the furniture. It seemed when Father Charlie was at Ken’s there was not the same attitude of friendliness you would feel unwelcome.

I got along well with Ken, he was upfront with me and told me a long time ago that he was a homosexual. Ken once told me that he and Father Charles MacDonald were homosexual lovers. Ken also told me that Malcolm MacDonald was his lover. Malcolm and Ken were always together. I remember that Ken would take young offenders fishing with him all the time.

I remember that Gerry, Mark Menard and Pitou (Harvey Berry Jr.) were at Ken’s a  lot. I know that Ken Seguin would often lend money to probation clients. Ken would also take them on field trips and give them booze. It was well known that if you wanted to party go to Ken Seguin’s home in Summerstown.

Malcolm and Ken shared a  lot of the same clients. They had a good set up, both in the same building.

I believe that there was a nice little pedophile ring going until Perry Dunlop cam along. I believe that a  lot of people knew what was going on with Malcolm, Ken and Father Charles. They tried very hard to keep this case hidden from everyone

2

I remember about four or five years ago XXXX wanted to lodge a complaint that he had been assaulted at Alfred training school. He wrote out a twenty page statement and forwarded it to his legal council Malcolm MacDonald. I kept calling Malcolm about the file as I knew that it was bothering my brother. Malcolm stalled continually and never did proceed with the file. I called Malcolm’s office once a week for approximatley six months to one year to ask what was being done on the file. He would say the file has been sent or the secretary would not let me speak to him.

I recall being at a baptism or a first communion where XXX got up and left the church he turned white as a ghost, he was visibly shaken he was sweating and appeared very upset, XXX did not come back into the church. I went outside after the service and XXX was sitting in my car. I asked him what was wrong,” are you sick?” He stated no I just want to go home. This occurred at Blessed Sacrament Church about ten years ago. I remember that XXXX was the priest at the alter on the occasion where XXX left.

I think that victims will come out of the woodwork when this case gets going.

Children need to be protected from these homosexual pedophiles.

Carole Deschamps        13 December 1996

  MEDIA coverage

Abuse tore family apart: sister

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

23 October 2007

Posted By Terri Saunders

The city’s top cop was at the home of an alleged child molester on more than one occasion, a woman told the Cornwall Public Inquiry Monday.

Carole Hesse said she recalls seeing Claude Shaver, a former chief of the Cornwall Police Service, at the Summerstown home of Ken Seguin, a now-deceased city probation officer alleged to have sexually abused several young boys in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hesse said she recalls having seen Shaver at Seguin’s house on at least two occasions. One time, Hesse said, she was at Seguin’s door when she observed Shaver inside the house.

During another visit to the waterfront home, Hesse said she remembers Shaver driving his car into the driveway behind her car and that he had to move his vehicle in order for him to leave.

Hesse was shown a statement she gave in June 1996 in which it appears she says the opposite happened.

“One time I got there (and) Malcolm (MacDonald) and Shaver were just leaving and I had to pull out so they could get out,” the statement reads.

“Is it fair to assume it’s backward?” asked Peter Manderville, an attorney representing the Cornwall police at the inquiry.

“Reading this, it looks like he (Shaver) blocked me in,” said Hesse. “To be fair, that was a very long time ago,” said Manderville.

“Yes,” said Hesse. “It was a very long time ago.”

Hesse has several siblings, some of whom have testified at the inquiry about abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Seguin and Rev. Charles MacDonald.

Seguin committed suicide in 1993 before any criminal charges were laid against him.

Charles MacDonald was charged in 1996 with a series of sex-related crimes involving young men, but those charges were stayed in 2002 when a judge determined it had taken too long to bring the matter to trial.

Hesse said she only became aware of the alleged abuse her brothers suffered when she was approached by Perry Dunlop, a former city cop lauded as the whistleblower who blew the lid off decades of child sexual abuse in the Cornwall area.

In 1996, Dunlop visited Hesse and began to ask her questions about her brothers and their involvement with Seguin, Malcolm MacDonald and Charles MacDonald.

During the visit, Dunlop showed her a series of photographs, including shots of her brothers.

“It was like a slap in the face,” said Hesse. “I realized my brothers were all victims. I talked to them. I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? Maybe I could have done something.’ But they just wanted to leave it alone. They didn’t want to be victims.”

Hesse, who is now 49 years old, said the alleged abuse has torn her family apart and she barely speaks to her brothers anymore, despite the fact they were all quite close when they were younger.

“Now, we don’t talk,” said Hesse. “It’s very strained. They live their lives and I live mine.”

Hesse said she hopes the inquiry will result in a recommendation a young person cannot be alone in the company of a lawyer or a probation officer, either while defending themselves in court or as part of after-care.

“There shouldn’t be any one-on-one,” said Hesse.

Comm. Normand Glaude suggested that, while conducting a criminal defence, it may be necessary for an accused to meet privately with an attorney in order to discuss matters which could be protected by attorney-client privilege.

“Well,” said Hesse, “maybe it shouldn’t be that way for young offenders.”

The inquiry will resume Wednesday when it’s expected a lawyer who once acted for Perry Dunlop in a civil la suit will ake the stand. An all-counsel meeting for attorneys representing parties with standing at the inquiry is expected to be held today.

 

  Brothers Allegedly Abused

Cornwall News AM 1220

October 23, 2007 — A Cornwall Public Inquiry witness says it was a slap in the face. Carole Hesse testified yesterday. She explained that’s how it felt when she heard her brothers were allegedly abused at the hands of a probation officer and a city priest. Hesse says it was a reality check. No one was convicted in relation to the allegations.