Project Truth Mandate “This investigation is being conducted into paedophile activity both historic and ongoing in the Cornwall, Ontario area. The alleged suspects are prominent and respected citizens of Cornwall, and include lawyers, Catholic priests, a Catholic Bishop, teachers, probation officers, businessmen, a former Chief of Police and the present Crown Attorney. The alleged offences occurred and are occurring both in the City of Cornwall and the outlying area. “In addition, it is alleged the suspects were able to terminate investigations and prosecutions against them by abusing their positions of trust within the community. It is alleged the Crown Attorney, the Diocese of Cornwall, and the Cornwall Police Service conspired to obstruct justice in these matters.” |
The above is the mandate which governed the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) probe dubbed Project Truth which was launched August 1997 to investigate persistent allegations of a paedophile ring and cover-up in Cornwall, Ontario. 114 charges were eventually laid against 15 men. Of the 15 men charged only one was found “guilty” – in that instance the accused paedophile, Jean Luc LeBlanc entered a plea of guilty. Some believe that he didn’t see the writing on the wall and would have eluded justice had he not opted to enter a “guilty” plea.
One might reasonably presume that an inquiry into the Cornwall sex abuse scandal would address the very issues which prompted the police probe and which are at the heart of the allegations of a paedophile ring and cover-up, allegations which were buttressed when Justice Colin McKinnon took the bench at the sex abuse trial of lawyer and Church canon lawyer Jacques Leduc and the trial degenerated into the trial of Cornwall Police Service whistle blower, former Constable Perry Dunlop.
It does not.
The mandate for the Cornwall Public Inquiry overtly sidesteps the very issues which gave rise to calls for an inquiry and thereby reflects the mindset of those politicians, judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials who claim there is no ring and there is no cover-up in Cornwall.