Julian and the Victims
“I have never had any tolerance whatsoever for crime, to begin with. And also, I have never been able to overlook the victimization that’s involved.” […]
I don’t know how Julian Fantino sleeps at night. To utter those words, while having been OPP Commissioner during the worst of the Caledonia Crisis, requires a cognitive disconnect that beggars imagination. It’s the sort of double think we expect from politicians, but a police officer? The former head of the second largest force in Canada? […]
Speaking of victims, here is one victim that Julian Fantino did not have the courage to meet, Pam ‘Dancer’ Dudych. Pam is a teenager living in Caledonia whose life became a living hell after the occupation of the Douglas Creek Estate. She described her daily existence in a school project thusly:
“You can’t call the police because they can’t help you. You’re locked in your own home. A few days later, when it calms down, you have to go to school. But you can’t get to school by bus anymore so you have to drive a 30 min. ride to school when it only took 2 minutes unless you wen’t through the blockade. But you could only do this if you had a pass, but even when we got one, it was whether they felt like letting you go through or not. If they did let you go, it was like you’re in prison, gates everywhere, men with masks over their faces only to see their eyes. Men holding bats some even with guns, it was a living hell. I had to live through that. You don’t know what life is like until you have lived through it.
“I’m a competitive dancer, and love to dance outside on the side lawn, but I wasn’t able to unless I could take the pressure of getting stares or firecrackers thrown at me. Now I take medication and go to counselling because of all of this. A 14 year old should not be doing that!”
In 2009 Haldiman Mayor Marie Trainer – one of the few public officials to conduct themselves honourably during the Crisis – asked then Commissioner Fantino to meet with Pam and her family, as well as Dave and Dana Brown (who later won a settlement against the Ontario government). Fantino said he was too busy. […]
When faced with real victims of real crime, Julian Fantino turned his back. […]
Shame on the media for their cowardice. Shame on the Opposition for their dereliction of duty. Shame on Julian Fantino. Shame. Shame. Shame.
Read the whole story…
- Western Standard, Dec 20/10: Julian and the Victims
- see also: Ottawa Citizen, Dec 16/10: ‘Team player’ Fantino vows to be voice for victims [PDF]
Comment
I am very grateful to the author for writing this story. Anyone, especially conservatives, who believes that Julian Fantino cares more about innocent victims than politics only need read the sad story of Pam Dudych and her family – be sure to click on the related links.
I would also note that when Sam Gualtieri was nearly murdered, suffering permanent brain damage after being attacked in a home he was building for his daughter (shortly before the photo of Pam was taken) Julian Fantino couldn’t be bothered meeting with him either. Fantino contacted the family about 1 year after the attack, but by then, they were not interested in seeing him.
You can read the Gualtieri’s statement of claim here:
- Ontario Superior Court, Sept 16/08: Statement of Claim
I wonder if Fantino would have found time to meet with victims if they had been native?
Updates/Related
- Windsor Star, Dec 20/10: Abomination of justice
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Telling OPP officers to stand down and jeopardize their safety, while blatant, violent crime takes place before their eyes is hardly a show of intolerance for crime, Mr. Fantino. You’ll make a fine politician. - Gods of the Copybook Headings, Dec 20/10: Julian and the Victims
- Celestial Junk (Blogging Tories), Dec 21/10: Could there be a more insincere statement
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Truly, a more hallucinatory statement could hardly be uttered. […] Indeed…Julian Fantino, serving the cause by challenging academia to reinvent the lexicon when “delusional” and “figment of the imagination” don’t cut it. - TaylorEmpireAirways.com, Dec 21/10: Abdication of Responsibility
Mark Vandermaas, Founder
Caledonia Victims Project
info@caledoniavictimsproject.ca
Caledonia Victims Project 
