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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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The conviction of Dr Fernando came
as no surprise to many of us in New Plymouth, however, there were some
surprises in this case for me. The first was that the deputy
mayor of the NPDC stood up and gave a character reference for a doctor who is
now a convicted sexual offender. How do you know how your friend acts in
his/her workplace during one-on-one interactions? You simply cannot know. This was a blatant use of
positional power and I am pleased that the jury had the wherewithal to see
through it and not be swayed or intimidated. For me, the deputy mayor's
appearance prompts two concerns. One is his ability, as one of our elected
representatives, to make sound judgments about his own actions; and, two,
that the defence team believes the average citizen is still easily swayed by
positional power. So much for our egalitarian
society. The second surprise for me was the
most extraordinary comment that Susan Hughes made in her summing up. She said
that she would not be standing there if she did not believe Fernando. Does this mean that when she
defends other clients and does not make this comment we should infer that are
they guilty? Sexual offenders, rapists, domestic violence batterers and
paedophiles are three-dimensional people just like the rest of us. Yes, they
can do good deeds, but their dark side -- and we all have one -- tends to be
more dysfunctional and harmful than the average citizen's. Typically, one cannot pick a
sexual offender out of a crowd. Like the rest of us, they come in all shapes
and sizes and often hold positions of trust. One thing I know for sure is that
there are 12 women whose experiences have been believed and recognised. They
are not guilty. The doctor is. |
