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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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Presbyterian Support's
hardline stance on 13 people who say they were sexually abused at a
Wellington children's home is breaking down. The agency has agreed
to discuss compensation for the group, amid fears within the church the
complainants have been treated with a "lack of respect and
sensitivity". Presbyterian Support,
which ran Berhampore Children's Home where some residents say they were
abused by justice of the peace Walter Lake, has reversed its position and
agreed to meet the group's lawyer this week. It had previously said
that it was not liable for the claims, would not "write out
cheques" and would not deal with any complainant who hired a lawyer or
went public. The about-face comes
after a Presbyterian Church document questioned the way the complaints had
been handled and raised concerns about the harm done to the church. The document also
reveals that Presbyterian Support spokesman Trevor Roberts has been sidelined
after publicly accusing the complainants of being motivated by money. More allegations were
reported on TVNZ's Sunday last night, this time of physical abuse at the
hands of Lake. A former staff member told of a severe thrashing dished out to
a young boy who had tried to run away. At least 14 former
residents went to police last year with claims they were sexually abused
during the 1950s and 60s by Lake, who was made an OBE for social services in
1986. He died last November, aged 84, just as police were to charge him with
sex offences. Presbyterian Support –
a separate entity to the church – said yesterday it had arranged to meet the
lawyer representing 13 of the 14 complainants this week. The agency was
"committed to giving them full and respectful consideration". Lawyer Gordon Paine,
who is acting for the 13, said the meeting was an important step. "We're
going to explore all sorts of things." Mr Roberts told The
Dominion Post yesterday he "won't be acting as spokesman on this
occasion". The church document
criticised the agency's handling of the claims, citing a "lack of
respect and sensitivity". "Christian agencies should be more
interested in offering support and seeking the truth than in protecting their
own position," it says. The document blames a
"lack of constructive approach" for driving complainants to a
lawyer and the media and says Mr Roberts "failed badly" to give the
kind of response expected. The bad publicity would hurt the church, it says. "But please be
assured that the Presbyterian Church takes allegations of abuse and
misconduct very seriously, has clear processes in place to handle complaints,
and believes that its church communities and activities must be safe places
for all people who participate." |
