injusticebusters 2000 > > Fifth Estate Nov. 29, 2000 show breaks the Saskatchewan "cone of silence".

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Thank you,

Fifth estate broke through the "cone of silence" around the "Scandal of the Century" with a hardhitting hour of gripping television where the falsely accused were able to tell their story, the former childwitnesses, now young adults were given an opportunity to tell the truth and apologize to those they had accused, and the police, prosecutors and justice ministers were given an opportunity to respond -- which they all declined, hiding behind the double shield of the publication ban and the $10 million lawsuit the falsely accused had filed against them. Fifth estate made the story comprehensible to a country which had mostly never heard of it. In one hour, they touched on every aspect of this ten year ordeal. They brought us a wider audience. They added to our credibility. Thank you fifth estate. We have no doubt that the publicity you gave this story protected the website and slowed down the silencers of truth in their attempts to jump past the Charter in court Jan. 16.

injusticebusters respond by pointing our index finger directly back at Dueck. Yes, we say, Dueck not only did a lot of things wrong in this case but showed himself to be corrupt in many other cases. It is not quite true to say that we who point the finger were not there. We were there. Rick Klassen and the other accused were there when Dueck went to Red Deer to interview him. Michelle and Michael were there when he took them to the "soft room" to interview them. Those of us who were charged with criminal defamation against Dueck were there when he got on the stand and claimed he could do nothing about Michael because he was not yet twelve years old! This was a lie and Dueck knew that even as he was making this claim, Michael had remained in the Thompson home until he was fourteen and he was still raping his sisters! Dueck gave Michael a licence to run amok, even though the record shows he wanted to be stopped. Michael was a child. Dueck claimed to be an expert who had interviewed over 200 children.

Internet response: injusticebusters has so far received more than 50 e-mails, everyone of them positive regarding this case. This page has been posted on the net. Our e-mail count is well above 400 and we have a selection of them here. (We lost a lot of mail and lists over the summer when our computer was stolen.)

Linden McIntyre, host of Fifth Estate Scandal of the Century show which asked Saskatchewan Justice the hard questions

on this page we keep track of all media coverage -- or uncoverage -- since we went online.

Kathy Ross came forward despite the best -- and most expensive efforts of Saskatchewan Social Services to block her from making contact with injusticebusters or the media. The three Ross children were briefly seen on Canada Now, Feb. 5. Kathy has provided clear and unimpeachable evidence of malice on the part of the Saskatchewan government. Meanwhile, Richard Klassen received the bill he is supposed to pay Superintendant Dueck. Lawyers Rossmann and McKillop supplied a bill for $1,650, including a $150 fee for preparing the bill! Richard Klassen will apply to have the bill waived. See also Diane Ens, Michelle's Kathy page, Peter Klassen, Rossman's brief, Judge's decision.

What now? Is it business as usual for the Saskatchewan media?

See publicity 2002

Updated Jan. 19: Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000, StarPhoenix had nothing to say. To its credit, StarPhoenix has given excellent coverage to the Saskatoon Police Commission and has been highly critical of Chief Dave Scott. When are they going to go after Dueck? Les Perreaux got on the gag order story and did an excellent job. He has joined the ranks of journalists we can respect.

Thursday night, CBC Saskatchewan posted a story featuring Teresa Bohn, the children's aunt who was also among those Michael (who was ten at the time he told the lies) named. A small bite from Michael, with Michelle in the background, confirmed he felt good for having told the truth. The CBC Sask website ran a piece saying Dueck had a story he could not tell because he was gagged by lawyers and quoting police union chief Stickney to the effect that perhaps Dueck had made an honest mistake! (see item below).

Keep up the pressure. Let's fix this mess! Write often!

Jan. 17, 2001: StarPhoenix finally publishes Richard Klassen's name! Good work Global coverage | Censorship in Altona |This has now been picked up by the weekly paper where Richard Klassen lives. Echo

injusticebusters welcome all the new readers from Saskatchewan and elsewhere. The Fifth Estate Jan. 24 brought a new flock of visitors. Each subsequent airing (we've lost count of how many) brings more.

Jan. 16, 2001: The Hon. Mr. Justice Zarzeczny reserved his decision on Superintendent Dueck's application to place a publication ban on all the material before the courts in the $10M lawsuit and extended Judge Hrabinsky's interim gag order until he makes his decision. Both Rossman and McKillop, the lawyers acting for the defendants in this case complained that their story was being told in bits and pieces on the internet and that the only remedy open to them was to dismiss the suit altogether or at least to turf Richard Klassen out of it.

Many bits and pieces of this story are on this website for all to see. By no means have we told the whole story of the lengths Dueck and his henchmen have gone to silence us. It seems to be forgotten that before we went on the internet, we were criminally charged with defamation and we obeyed the strict gag orders in our undertakings to the court. As soon as those undertakings were no longer in place, in the spring of 1998, we took to the internet and began putting bits and pieces of the story online. We have been doing so ever since and we will continue to do so. A lot of true bits and pieces add up to a large, truthful story.

Robert Borden made a strong case for free speech, pointing to case law which has upheld that the public interest in having access to the truth overrides some privacy issues.

Richard Klassen addressed the court and assured everyone that he will abide by the Rules of Court regarding discovery material but he will not be gagged.

The judge stated several times he wished to get these matters dealt with so the matter could go to trial. He didn't seem at all inclined to dismiss this claim or any of the plaintiffs.

The defendants are caught in a bind. They have been forced to say they now want the story to come out but find themselves gagged by their own orders and feel victimized by our "slanted" version of events. injusticebusters invite Dueck or any other defendants to tell us which bits and pieces of the story we may have in our possession they would like us to post. If it doesn't involve a lot of transcription, we would be happy to oblige them.

Please continue to write letters to your local newspapers and media outlets. There is no enforcable ban on publication of any aspect of this story so they should feel free to investigate Dueck and call for his firing and arrest and to report on the role of Social Services and Saskatchewan Justice in this case.

E-mail injusticebusters | E-mail Saskatoon Police | Contact Roy Romanow | E-mail Minister of Justice

CBC's Canada Now has picked up on the publication ban and all of CBC seems to be on board to defy the ridiculous ban regarding the non-publication of names. Perhaps it is time for the media to go after Social Services who have made some dreadful mistakes, perhaps acted criminally, and have also covered up the truth! Investigate! Sheila Gagne who was the head of Social Services told injusticebusters she was the "mother" of the Ross children and that was why she was protecting them from us!

As for Dueck wanting to tell his side of the story, injusticebusters will publish anything he wishes to write and sign. That goes for Axworthy, Romanow, Quinney, Miazga, Carol Bunko-Ruys -- the lot of them.

Just let it be the truth!

Getting this story to the public

Updated Jan. 19, 2001: It is hard to find a reliable, principled lawyer in Saskatchewan; the same is true of reporters. The StarPhoenix covered the foster parent story in the beginning but caved in the face of a paper tiger -- Judge Macpherson's publication ban which came down in 1993. This was a sweeping ban, well beyond the original routine ban on publishing any information which would identify the "child victims. " It put a seal on all the evidence in the case! That silly piece of paper should have been challenged at every opportunity until the right to report was re-established. It was impossible to tell the story of more than twenty people without using names. It was certainly impossible to tell it without using the evidence which was given in court! The media should have picketed the courts! Instead, StarPhoenix quit reporting on the case and jumped on board the Martensville case, which appeared to be an equally sensational story -- and had accused who could be named. Doug MacConachie, who had been doing a credible job on the Foster Parent story moved to sports.

Donella Hoffman took a kill on a 2000 word piece she had worked hard to write and she moved to position of Night Editor. It was five years before the story was revived when Dan Zakreski got around the publication ban with an elaborate set of psuedenoms. He managed to tell the story, but it fell like a ton of bricks. There was not so much as a letter to the editor. Nobody cares about psuedenoms. We care about people with names and faces. Dale and Anita Klassen, Helen and Don Ross, Michael and Michelle Ross . . .

CBC took a different route. It did not hesitate to broadcast Richard Klassen's name in 1993. It simply failed to establish his connection to the case (as one of the falsely accused put through a costly preliminary hearing, ordered to stand trial and having his charges stayed at the last minute along with a dozen other people). Marion Barshall was involved in that piece of smearing innuendo; she partially redeemed herself in the spring of 1996 with a five part series on the radio morning show. Then, thud.

CBC Saskatchewan covers Sask-Tel's silencing of injusticebusters' first website on Sympatico

CFQC and Global had long since filed the case altogether. When Sheila Steele and Richard Klassen were arrested and charged with defamation, the story was about "a man who can't be identifies because it would identify children in a sealed case" and Sheila Steele, (who was facing the courts on marijuana cultivation charges at the same time so this added confusion to the story). Nameless people doing unspeakable acts hanging around with a pot grower.In

1998, we began putting the story on the internet. The only coverage we received was of our difficulty in getting a secure internet site. On the occasions when we picketed, the media showed up to see if we would be arrested. When we weren't arrested, there was nothing for the Saskatchewan media to report. Our story sat in cyberspace, lonely, read by a scattered 20,000 people around the world.

Eventually, in March, 2000, it found the eyes of Howard Goldenthal, an associate producer at the fifth estate. The rest, as they say, is history. The journalists at the fifth estate were able to find out information we had no access to. We did not know that as a consequence of speaking out about the case and criticizing the publication bans, Robert Borden had been brought before the law society four times! It challenged us to rethink our criticism of those lawyers who have tried to push this case

Police officer wants to tell his side of the story

(Web Posted | Nov 30 2000 8:00 PM EST , Saskatchewan CBC website)

REGINA - A Saskatoon police superintendent told CBC News Thursday he wants to tell his side of the story in the case of Michael Ross.

Supt. Brian Dueck refused to comment otherwise saying he has been ordered by the police department's lawyer not to comment.

Dueck was the lead investigator more than 10 years ago when a boy, Michael Ross, accused his former foster family of abusing him.

Wednesday, on the CBC program the Fifth Estate, Ross admitted he was lying.

He said stories of sexual abuse, barbecued babies, orgies and people drinking blood were false. Ross named 16 people. Police laid dozens of charges. The allegations destroyed most members of the foster family. It was a stunning admission.

However, Al Stickney of the Saskatoon Police Association says it is too easy to point fingers in this case.

"It's easy for someone to look at something and say this person did a whole lot of things wrong when they weren't there," said Stickney. So far the police department and the Saskatchewan Justice Department have refused to comment on this case.

CBC's Canada Now has picked up on the publication ban and all of CBC seems to be on board to defy the ridiculous ban regarding the non-publication of names. Perhaps it is time for the media to go after Social Services who have made some dreadful mistakes, perhaps acted criminally, and have also covered up the truth! Investigate! Sheila Gagne who was the head of Social Services told injusticebusters she was the "mother" of the Ross children and that was why she was protecting them from us! Even as she said those words, during the spring of 1994, Michael was raping his siters!

Just let it be the truth!

Censorship in Altona, Manitoba,

Jan. 22, 2001

The Fifth Estate show "Scandal of the Century," featuring an Altona family, originally shown Nov. 29 has been updated and will air on Wed., Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Tape this and discuss it with your friends.

The above paid ad was refused by Altona News in a Minute, a daily Page Print sheet distributed to all coffee shops and businesses in the Altona, Man. area. Editor Rev. Barry McGhie gave as his reason: "It's just a small town newspaper and it's something people can take sides on so we choose not to print it." Mr. McGhie can be reached at (204) 324-5001.

The paper prints sports' scores, political scandals and ran daily coverage of the Lewinsky scandal. Go figure.

injusticebusters webeditorial on Dueck | injusticebusters webeditorial on the publication ban | the latest on the $10M lawsuit

Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd. William Blake, The Proverbs of Hell

Truth suppress'd, whether by courts or crooks, will find an avenue to be told. Sheila Steele, injusticebusters.com

If you hold the mouth of Truth, It will burst out its rib-cage. Somali proverb

Truth crushed to earth will rise again. --William Cullen Bryant



Publisher : Sheila Steele
Co-founder: Richard Klassen
www.flickr.com

Got something to say about this or any other stories on this site? Go to injusticebustersblog Participate!

injusticebusters court advice :
How to walk yourself through the justice system

Why you should dump your preliminary hearing (written July 1998 and still valid)

Sermonette: Sucked in, Diegested and spit out by Saskatoon police (You will find links to many more sermonettes in the sidebar on this page

Another target of Dueck's malice: Wilf Hathway

Our activism contributed greatly to the good vibes which happened around the civil trial.

Index to the stories on this website

This is not regularly updated so if you are looking for a particular story and you have a name or keyword, please use the site search engine(at the bottom of the page) which IS regularly updated

Index to Saskatoon Police stories

This is a pretty good scrapbook for the 1998-2002 period.



The Klassen/Kvello civil Trial

September 8, 2003: Trial Begins
September 09, 2003: Pamela Klassen Shetterly's Testimony
September 10, 2003: Anita Klassen
September 11, 2003: Michelle Ross
September 12, 2003: Sheila Verway
September 16, 2003: Michael Ross
September 18, 2003: Ellen Gunn
September 19, 2003: Terry Hinz
September 19, 2003:StarPhoenix editorial, Terry Hinz
September 20, 2003: Louis Dupuis
September 27, 2003: Ron Schindell, Jay Watson
October 01, 2003: Case
against the Klassens weak: documents
October 02, 2003: Judge asked to dismiss suit: No evidence of malicious intent: lawyers
October 2, 2003: Letter to the editor from former "Believe the children" advocate
October 03, 2003: Lawyer details evidence of malice
October 04, 2003: Judge ponders request to drop Klassen lawsuit
October 27, 2003: Judge Baynton's interim decision: Quinney dropped, the rest proceed
October 27, 2003: Claim goes forward
October 29, 2003: Brian Dueck
October 30, 2003: Dueck
October 31, 2003: Brian Dueck
November 01, 2003: Matthew Miazga
November 04, 2003: Matthew Miazga
November 05, 2003: Matthew Miazga
November 06, 2003: Sonja Hansen

Injusticebusters daily reports Page 1 | Page 2

injusticebusters' daily reports page one 1 page two

Final judgment: Dec. 30, 2003 |

Post judgment publicity

articles and editorials from Jan 6-9
Sabo's apology
Editorials: StarPhoenix, Leader Post and National Post
National Post front page story, Jan. 10
Sarah Gibb's profile of Richard and Kari Klassen |
Lives ruined by Jason Warick, Feb. 19
April 15/04: Judge Baynton warns defendants' lawyers not to delay damages trial
Dueck drops his appeal
Full transcript of Dueck's examinations for discovery which were part of the read-ins at the civil trial


Revitalizing the archives From 1998 until 2002, injusticebusters was in the throes of identity crisis. What was it? What were we doing? We grappled with editorial policy at the same time we were learning the nuts and bolts of building and posting a website. Once we had a secure, paid site I had full editorial control, although I talked regularly to Richard Klassen who was forced to move his family several times and did not always have access to the internet. Rick's pages: one | two We posted our earliest and later actions. Early versions of the site can be found on the Wayback Machine. I began following other threads to stories of police and prosecutorial misconduct and the site's character took on another facet: a newsclipping scrapbook where stories could live longer than they would in print form. I also began picking up other stories of wrongfully convicted people. It was an explosion. By 2003 there were over 700 pages. I also had contact with several other people (Don Smith, Leon Walchuk, Monique Turenne, the Vopnis) and kept these stories going. It was the story of the Ross children's treatment at the hands of the Saskatchewan government which grabbed the attention of The Fifth Estate. The civil claim (The $10M Lawsuit as we called it) was only mentioned briefly at the end of their show which aired in November, 2000. When Richard Klassen began to make progress in bringing his civil claim to court, the government and police defendants alleged he was breaking the rules of court by publishing discovery material on the internet. MacNeil clinic (the document which started it all) The Thompson Papers Carol Bunko-Ruys reports This claim was absolutely false. However, rather than risk being thrown out of his civil claim, Klassen undertook before Judge Mona Dovall to sever all ties with the website. The court fights: Les Perreaux report QB271 These pages have links which lead to other pages from that era. Now that some of the dust has settled, I have been going back through the material we had posted in the early days. In the spirit of keeping the scrapbook alive, I have been reformatting and placing links. The original material remains intact. I hope the information, which chronicles our struggle is useful to you. The identity crisis is over. We know who we are --Sheila Steele, March 28, 2005

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

May 1, 2005

winter, 2000