SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2007
|FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2007
|
THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2007
Shame On Me?
To those (few) who have defended Sue (and I'm confident you were put up to it), why do so anonymously? So far, the only one to identify themselves is Ric Roy (thank you Richard). Why not come forward and tell me who you are and what you know?
Because I can assure you that in the year that Ms. Sutherland has been in charge I have heard NOTHING.
It's bad enough to have my sister die the way she did, but don't you think secrets and cover-ups would be the last thing I could tolerate at this point? For that, I can go back to the SQ.
Unfunded? UNFUNDED? No, I don't think Sue is unfunded. Maybe not by me - and judging from the accusatory email I've received lately you'd swear I was Scrooge - funding was never part of the deal. I've gone well into debt over this affair, I've got nothing to give. But I do not believe that Ms. Sutherland is unfunded. You'll need to ask her about that, but thank god for friends of Theresa (from 29 years ago) who do what they do because they love her (and it's a shame that their generosity should be abused).
John A
TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2007
I have wasted time and now doth time waste me
Sue Sutherland
Justice for Theresa
Sue:
I am sorry, but based on consultation with other involved parties, you are no longer
a part of the the investigation into the death of my sister, Theresa Allore.
Going forward, please desist from investigating this matter.
I thank you for all your help and cooperation thus far, and I wish you the best
of luck in your future criminological pursuits,
Regards,
John Allore
The Cars via The Red House Painters:
she shadows me in the mirror
she never leaves on the light
and some things that i've said to her
they just dont seem to bite
it's all mixed up (x4)
she tricks me into thinking
that i cant believe my eyes
i wait for her forever
but she never does arrive
it's all mixed up (x4)
she said leave it all to me,
everything will be allright
she said leave it all to me,
everything will be all right
she's always out making pictures
she's always out making scenes,
she's always out the window
when it comes to making dreams
From some damn post... sound like anyone you know?
Sociopath:
Antisocial Personality Disorder is also known as psychopathy orsociopathy. Individuals with this disorder have little regard for the feeling and welfare of others. As a clinical diagnosis it is usually limited to those over age 18. It can be diagnosed in younger people if the they commit isolated antisocial acts and do not show signs ofanother mental disorder.
Antisocial Personality Disorder is chronic, beginning in adolescence and continuing throughout adulthood. There are ten general symptoms:
not learning from experience
no sense of responsibility
inability to form meaningful relationships
inability to control impulses
lack of moral sense
chronically antisocial behavior
no change in behavior after punishment
emotional immaturity
lack of guilt
self-centeredness
People with this disorder may exhibit criminal behavior. They may not work. If they do work, they are frequently absent or may quit suddenly. They do not consider other people's wishes, welfare or rights. They can be manipulative and may lie to gain personal pleasure or profit. They may default on loans, fail to provide child support, or fail to care for their dependents adequately. High risk sexual behavior and substance abuse are common. Impulsiveness, failure to plan ahead, aggressiveness, irritability, irresponsibility,and a reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety ofothers are traits of the antisocial personality.
Socioeconomic status, gender, and genetic factors play a role. Males are more likely to be antisocial than females. Those from lower socioeconomic groups are more susceptible. A family history of the disorder puts one at higher risk.
There are many theories about the cause of Antisocial Personality Disorder including experiencing neglectful parenting as a child, low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and belief that antisocial behavior is justified because of difficult circumstances. Psychotherapy, group therapy, and family therapy are common treatments. The effects of medical treatment are inconclusive. Unfortunately, most people with Antisocial Personality Disorder reject treatment. Therefore, recovery rates are low.
MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2007
This Via The Red House Painters:
Another Song for a Blue Guitar
she comes apart at the seams
cause she never dreams
as she lays up awake
cause her feelings ache
and the one thing she found
as she gazed at the sea
was that she lost her faith
her faith in me
and in the early morning
i can't make up a thing
and a barely can play
i don't like to sing
so i picked up my brush
painted blue guitar
and i ripped off the chords
from 'bron y' aur'
so i played her a song
but the timing was wrong
poor choices of chords
and the words were forced
and the one thing that i found
as i gazed at the sea
was that she lost all hope
all hope in me
as she gazed at the sea
was that she lost her faith
her faith in me
SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2007
BCS History of Teacher Sex Alligations
I do love this story from 2003, "BCS Seeks Higher Profile"... They got it now!
CanWest Global Communications Corp.
August 13, 2003 Wednesday Final Edition
HEADLINE: Bishop's College seeks higher profile
SOURCE: The Gazette
The new headmaster of Bishop's College School says his priority is to raise the public profile of the private prep school in the Eastern Townships and to "bring it out" from under the shadow of Bishop's University.
"I want our school to stand alone and to be recognized on its own merits," Lewis Evans said yesterday.
"We have a phenomenal history that goes back to 1836. The first half of that history we share with Bishop's University; the second half is our own."
There are about 260 students at the co-educational school in Lennoxville. Forty per cent of them are from outside Canada.
"It's a real eye-opener," Evans said. "We have students from about 25 countries, and at least 16 mother tongues on campus."
Evans became the 27th headmaster in the school's 167-year history. His father was a housemaster at Bishop's College School in the 1940s; as a boy, Evans was raised in an apartment on the third floor of the school.
He has taught there since 1976, and most recently was the school's director of development. He replaces Nancy Layton, headmaster for the past eight years.
Bishop's College is a boarding school; tuition is $30,000 a year, or $35,000 for international students. Evans says that makes its mandate doubly exacting, because it has to be both a home and a school.
"Our motto is recti cultus pectora roborant - learning properly strengthens character - so we have to deliver on character development," he said.
BCS Teacher Sexual Alligations
The Record ran it yesterday and has been quite good at following the story, but from what I can tell, The Gazette has been unwilling to touch it:
Sherbrooke Record (Quebec)
June 22, 2007 Friday
Final Edition
HEADLINE: Second BCS lawsuit; Dates from 1966
BYLINE: Sarah Rogers, The Record
DATELINE: SHERBROOKE
SHERBROOKE - For the second time in less than a year, Bishop's College School in Lennoxville is facing a lawsuit against the conduct of a former staff member. An alumnus has made allegations of sexual assault dating back to 1966. The plaintiff recently filed a $1 million claim in Montreal against the former employee and BCS.
"The school takes this stuff very seriously," said BCS chairman David Stenason. "Our main priority is the well-being of our students, staff and alumni."
A 53-year-old Montreal man alleges the perpetrator was a dormitory monitor who worked in the students' residence in the 1960s. Christian Cloche is a French citizen who worked as an assistant in the 1966-'67 school year. The Journal de Montreal reported yesterday that the plaintiff claimed Cloche would visit him in his dormitory bedroom, remove his pants and demand he participate in masturbation.
It wasn't until 2004 that the plaintiff revealed this information to a therapist whom he still sees regularly, the Montreal newspaper reported.
Stenason said that Cloche now lives in Geneva, Switzerland. He could not be reached by The Record.
The lawsuit that has been filed contains allegations that have not been proven in a court of law.
"This person only worked at the school for a year," Stenason told The Record.
Bishop's College School was an all-boys school until 1972 when the facility merged with the neighbouring girls' school, King's Hall Compton.
Stenason said that BCS will not post another public statement on its website for the school community, as it did in October 2006, as he said these new allegations aren't as far-reaching as the request for court authorization for a class action suit that was filed last fall.
That lawsuit was begun by a former student against the now deceased Reverend Harold Theodore Gibson Forster, a BCS staffer between 1958 and 1965. The plaintiff and 10 other students claimed they were sexually assaulted by the school's reverend.
That case has yet to be heard in court; Stenason gathered that preliminaries in the case would be heard later this year or in early 2008.
In the meantime, Stenason is confident in the school's current code of conduct, which he calls "very strict." Additionally, there is a full-time psychological counsellor at BCS available to students.
Lawyer James Woods, who is overseeing the most recent file in Montreal, did not return The Record's call before press time.
Bishop's College School is a boarding and day school for grades seven through 12, founded in 1836.
BCS History of Teacher Sex Alligations
And this from last November:
Sherbrooke Record (Quebec)
November 2, 2006 Thursday
Final Edition
HEADLINE: More victims?: New BCS allegations
BYLINE: Brion Robinson, The Record
SHERBROOKE - New alleged victims, including one Eastern Townships resident, have come forward with sexual abuse allegations against Lennoxville borough's Bishop's College School since a former student sought court permission to file a multi-million class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and others.
"I was just advised of a new victim last night," Brian McPhadden, one of two lawyers representing the plaintiff, told The Record Tuesday.
The documents, filed in Superior Court in Montreal in mid-October by a man known only by the initials A.B.T., estimate there are at least 10 other victims.
"We're now aware of 10 or 11 male victims," claimed Toronto lawyer McPhadden.
The 58-year-old plaintiff lives in Vancouver and states in court documents that he was a BCS resident between 1958 and 1965. It claims he and other school boys were sexually abused by the now deceased Reverend Harold Theodore Gibson Forster, who was a house master, school chaplain, teacher and choirmaster.
The alleged abuse, which included beating the boy's bare buttocks with a comb before massaging them, allegedly occurred in 1962 when the victim was 14.
A.B.T.'s Quebec legal representative is Irwin Liebman. He said these types of cases are becoming more common in the legal system.
"What we're seeing is more litigation than before and more people willing to see the process through," he said.
McPhadden said A.B.T. will not speak with media, but he said his client is "upbeat" and "determined to see the court case through."
Papers were served on the school Oct. 24, BCS board chairman David Stenason confirmed, noting the parents of some 260 current students and tens of thousands of alumni have been informed of the situation by way of a one-page letter.
Stenason, who graduated from BCS 31 years ago, also said he was unaware of any new accusations, adding he expected alleged victims to contact a lawyer before communicating with the school.
The A.B.T. suit seeks $13 million from the school for liability in hiring, employing and inadequately supervising Forster, as well as damages of $13 million for "breach of duty of care."
The suit also seeks $4 million in punitive and exemplary damages, $2 million for aggravated damages as well as special damages to be determined at trial.
McPhadden, who has been involved in similar cases, also said the dollar figures could rise.
"It signifies to the defendant the magnitude of what happened," he said, noting it would be a benefit to both sides to reach an early agreement.
An early resolution would save the school legal fees and not be so damaging to its reputation, he said.
When asked whether a multi-million dollar claim could seriously hurt the private school, BCS spokesman Stenason admitted "any pay out hurts the school."
But he added that "the lawyers can say whatever they want and whatever number they want, but the verdict is up to the courts to decide."
Although the events are alleged to have happened almost 50 years ago and the accused Forster died in 1967, Lawyers Liebman and McPhadden say they are confident they have a strong case.
Many former students have already come forward, Liebman said, and they have brought a lot of evidence to the table.
There's little doubt the abuse ended after Forster's departure, McPhadden said, adding that the private school is responsible for its students' well-being.
"The school was staging a parental role," he said.
The Toronto law firm's Web site states that after the school is served with court documents "the firm will seek a claims resolution agreement with the school. Should agreement not prove possible at an early stage, a court hearing to certify the action as a class proceeding will be scheduled."
Liebman said the hearing could take place as early as mid-2007.
The lawyers are still waiting to hear from the school.
"It's too soon to say if we would consider a settlement," Stenason said. "I wouldn't want to comment on behalf of the school too early."
Speaking on behalf of A.B.T., McPhadden said, "It's his hope the school will do the right thing."
BCS Teacher Sex Alligations
Hang on, The Gazette caught it in October:
The Gazette (Montreal)
October 26, 2006 Thursday
HEADLINE: Former Bishop's students petition for class action
A man who alleges he was sexually molested by a teacher at Bishop's College School in Lennoxville more than 40 years ago is the representative claimant in a petition to launch a class action lawsuit against the school.
The man, a British Columbia resident identified in court documents as A.B.T., has asked Quebec Superior Court for permission to claim $15 million from the school on behalf of him and other former students.
A.B.T. alleges in a claim filed last week the incident happened in 1962 when he was 14 and a boarder at the school in Lennoxville, now part of Sherbrooke.
He says he was asked to go to Harold Forster's room in the morning. When A.B.T. arrived, Forster removed the boy's pyjama bottom, fondled his buttocks, then spanked him with a brush.
Forster was on staff at the school from 1953-62 as house master, school chaplain, teacher and choir master. He was fired after A.B.T. complained. Forster died in a 1967 train crash in Britain.
The former all-boys school now is co-ed, with 265 students.
Bryan McPhadden, a Toronto lawyer who filed the suit, said "half a dozen" former BCS students have reported similar stories of abuse by Forster.
"We take it very seriously," said David Stenason, the school's Montreal-based chairperson. BSC is conducting its own investigation.
LOAD-DATE: October 26, 2006
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2007
Well, well, well...
Thanks to La Tribune for sending me this:
L’école BCS encore visée par une poursuite
Les présumées agressions sexuelles seraient survenues dans les années 50 et 60 dans une résidence étudiante du Bishop's College School.
Claude Plante
La Tribune
SHERBROOKE
Le dossier des présumées agressions sexuelles, qui auraient été perpétrées dans les années 50 et 60 au Bishop's College School (BCS), vient encore hanter l'institution anglophone privée de l’arrondissement Lennonxville.
Cette fois, c’est un Montréalais qui a déposé un recours judiciaire contre l’école de réputation mondiale pour des sévices sexuels qu’aurait commis un surveillant d'une résidence étudiante pendant l’année scolaire 1966-1967.
Le plaignant de 53 ans soutient qu’un surveillant aurait abusé de lui à de nombreuses reprises alors qu’il n’avait que 12 et 13 ans.
La plainte, dont a fait état un quotidien montréalais jeudi, a été récemment déposée au palais de justice de Montréal.
Les gestes à caractère sexuel se seraient produits dans la chambre du surveillant, un homme qui demeure aujourd’hui près de Genève en Suisse.
L’ancien élève allègue que le présumé agresseur se trouvait en position d’autorité à son égard et affirme avoir subi des traumatismes.
Du côté du BCS, on affirme prendre l’affaire au sérieux, mais on fait remarquer que l’affaire se serait produite il y a 40 ans. «Nous avons transmis le dossier à nos avocats», déclare David Stenason, président du conseil d’administration de l’institution. «Ce n’est évidemment pas une bonne nouvelle. Mais ce sont des événements qui se seraient passé il y a très longtemps.»
«La personne concernée se trouve aujourd’hui en Suisse. Nous allons faire enquête», dit-il depuis l’Alberta lors d’un entretien téléphonique.
En octobre dernier, une demande de recours collectif a été déposée contre cette école par un ancien élève prétextant avoir été abusé par un révérend aujourd'hui décédé.
Les faits reprochés se seraient produits entre 1958 et 1965.
THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2007
Vraiment, mais...
Yes, I have been critical of the federal government hiring a unilingual as Canada's first victims ombudsman, but that was a principled opinion offered in solidarity to my Quebec friends.
All things considered, it is good to see the new ombudsman's website up and running. I must say it is a relief to finally see a consolidated list of victims services offered across the country so that we can finally compare apples-to-apples.
That alone is something I've wished for for a long time.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007
Most media critics disapprove of Hillary Clinton's Sopranos spoof, and the choice of Celine Dion's You and I as her campaign song (not because it's in poor taste but because it's so lame).
The Onion suggested using Yakety Sax, with Bill playing the lead.
This is an idea that will keep me laughing all day.
MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2007
It's 1999 again and we are piggy-in-the-middle
"Lawbreaking force needs civilian overseer"
So read the headline in The Gazette on Friday, 29 January 1999.
Any similarity between Quebec's Poitras Inquiry and the current outrage over Canada's RCMP is purely coincidental. Apart from,
- a rogue paramilitary force
- charges of corruption and incompetence
- autocratic leadership
- the call for independent oversite.
the two stories have nothing in common.
ps: Quebec never got the oversite thingy to stick, wanna bet the RCMP gets the same sweet deal?
SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2007
RIP PTSD Ther-A-PY?
This from Newsweek on the problems with stress therapy:
"A study found that 4 in ten people who entered grief therapy after losing a loved one would have been better off without treatment."
SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2007
(place victim's name here)'s Law
I agree with James Mennie that Anastasia's Law seems more like political opportunism than any serious effort at gun control.
Here are some other laws named after victims:
Burton H. Greene Memorial Act
Named for one of US Representative Nita Lowey's (D-NY) constituents killed by a repeat offender drunk driver, this law, formally known as the .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration Law, withholds federal highway funds for states that do not pass .08 laws by 2004. (Federal, enacted 10/23/00)
Kristen's Act
Named in honor Kristen Modafferri, 18, vanished in 1997. Authorizes grants to organizations to search for missing adults who may be endangered due to diminished mental c a p a c i t y, age, or suspected foul play. (Federal, enacte d 11/9/00)
Jennifer's Law
Named for Jennifer Wi l m e r, 21, missing since 1993. Authorizes $2 million for states to apply for competitive grants to cover the cost of entering files of unidentified victims into national missing person databases. (Federal, enacted 3/10/00)
Aimee's Law
Named for Aimee Willard, 22, raped and murdered by a released killer. Penalizes states that release a convicted murderer, rapist, or child molester from prison and that criminal is later convicted of those crimes in a different state. The releasing state loses federal funds that instead will be used to compensate the second state for incarceration and prosecution of the offender. (Federal, enacted 10/28/00)
Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sex Offender Registration Act
Named for Jacob Wetterling, 11, abducted by a masked man at gunpoint near his home in St. Joseph, MN. The law mandates that each state create a very narrowly drawn specific program to register sex offenders. (Federal, enacted 1994)
Hillary J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prevention Act
Adds gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a substance used in the commission of sexual assault, to Schedule I of the C o n t r o lled Substances Act and funds a date-rape dru g awareness campaign. (Federal, enacted 12/18/00)
Bryan's Law
Named for Bryan Dylan Nisenfeld, disappeared in the spring of 1997 from his college, Roger Williams University. His partial remains were found six months later. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by requiring institutions of higher education to notify parents if their child is reported missing. Upon notification of a missing student, the authority has 24 hours to verify the student is safe before being required to notify parents. (Federal, enacted 2/10/00)
Clery Act
Named for Lehigh University freshman Jeanne Ann Clery, 19, assaulted and murdered while asleep in her dormitory room. Requires colleges and universities throughout the nation to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. (Federal, enacted 1990).
Amy Robinson Memorial Act
Named after a mentally challenged teenager abducted and murdered by co-workers. Mandates that employers provide written notice to parents or legal guardians who have children under 18 or dependents with mental or physical handicaps that their child is working with a person convicted of a violent crime. (Federal, introduced May, 2001)
Cassie's Law
Named for Cassie Dehl, killed by her abusive boyfriend. Provides for parents to obtain restraining orders on behalf of their minor children to protect them from abusive dating partners. (Idaho, enacted in April 2000)
Katie's Law
Named for Katie Poirer, abducted May 2000 from Moose Lake, MN, still missing. This law provides funding to improve the tracking of sex offenders and increases the access of law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges to information about criminals, etc. Requires sex offenders to give the state detailed personal information when they register. (Minnesota, enacted 4/3/00)
Michael Minger Act
Named for Murray State University student killed in an arson fire in his residence hall. Requires state higher education institutions to submit reports about crimes within 24 hours. Expands campus crime reporting requirements to include arson. (Kentucky, enacted 3/28/00)
Lizzie's Law
Named for Lizzie Thompson, 3, witnessed her mother's murder by her father. The father subsequently attempted to get court-ordered visitation with his daughter. This law prohibits the granting of visitation rights to a parent who has been co n v i c ted of murdering the other parent. (Massachusetts, enacted in 1997)
Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act
Named for Sherrice Iverson, 7, raped and killed. The perpetrator's friend was nearby but did not report the crime. This law requires witnesses to report sexual or violent crimes against children under 14. (California, enacted 9/6/00)
Brian's Bill
Named for Brian Beacon, victim of a hit and run crash. Extends the statute of limitations on hit and run cases and toughens penalties for drivers who leave the scene when a person is injured or killed. (Maryland, enacted May 1998)
Ashley's Laws
Named for Ashley Estell, 7, allegedly abducted from a crowded park by a paroled sex offender. This series of laws requires, among others, notifying the public when a sex offender moves into the community. (Texas, enacted 1995)
Jenna's Law
Named for nursing student Jenna Greishaber, 22, stabbed and bludgeoned to death by a recently paroled violent felon. Ends parole for violent offenders. (New York, enacted 1998)
FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2007
Broken pipes, broken tools, People bending broken rules
For those of you who have wondered why the RCMP have neglected to answer your letters, emails or return your phone calls...
If you've wondered why their crime lab seemed slow to respond...
If the RCMP pension scandal left you scratching your head...
If the force has appeared hopelessly out manned and outgunned...
Or if you ever had the thought that you could do a better job than your national police force...
I have good news!
Conservative critic, David Brown has now declared the RCMP as "horribly Broken"
Good work Brown! Glad you're staying awake.
THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
And about that Sopranos ending
I did manage to catch The Sopranos while away in Anaheim this week. I was never a diehard, only saw it on-and-off, but I really enjoyed the final episode.
Now you know I'm always going to tie things back to the source, so on that final song, Don't Stop Believing.
Beautiful! I know Eric likes to knock Journey around a lot, but not me. Theresa bought me my first Journey album, Infinity.
I love Journey... still have a CD copy of Infinity. Neil Schon and Steve Perry, you will never hear me speak their names in vane.
Flushing Sure Beats Brushing
James Mennie's editorial on Montreal street gangs is dead on, but comes up short in one respect:
Why are the police waiting to address the street gang problem?
Did they not learn their lesson 20 years ago with the Biker Wars? Quebec only threw money at the problem after civilians got caught in the line of fire. Didn't they learn their lesson? If everyone has seen the problem of teen gangs coming for over 20 years, if we all knew that it was only a matter of time before cultural transmission would turn a curiosity of American violence into a uniquely Canadian problem (hell, even before gangs, I knew in university not to walk Toronto's Jane-Finch corridor, and that was well before gangs got organized) then why the long wait for preventative action?
"Money also has to be spent on literally hitting the gangs where they live, on educating 7- and
8-year-olds to the dangers of gang life and attempting to corral the poverty-stricken neighbourhoods where street gangs recruit and thrive into joining the fight."
Everyone knows why the police have stalled. They will wait until the situation gets totally out of hand, then they will form Wolverine II and say they must concentrate all their attention on this new problem, thus excusing them for all the crappy service they've provided to us in the interim 20 years.
These things move in cycles, just like your toilet.
Thomas The Tank Engine - now with liver damaging lead chromate!
Lick me children!
One of the most expensive toys on the planet and they can't manage to keep lead paint off it?
THURSDAY, JUNE 07, 2007
|WEDNESDAY, JUNE 06, 2007
Cornered
A victims' advocate once told me how she dealt with a convicted child molester moving into her neighborhood. She brought him a plate of cookies, introduced herself, then said, "I know who you are, now you know who I am, now that the boundaries have been drawn, let's try to get along".
Which is how I feel about "balcony rapist", Paul Callow moving into Surrey, BC.
Reintegration is a cornerstone of the Canadian justice system. If you don't like it, petition your government, don't blame the former offender. For now it would be best to meet the man, establish parameters and try to get along. Confrontation in this situation will solve nothing.
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