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This page last updated Dec
14 2006
2006-1214 - Dominion Post -
Abused man seeks $50,000
A man who says he was raped and assaulted by Berhampore Children's Home
manager Walter Lake nearly 50 years ago is seeking $50,000 in compensation
from operator Presbyterian Support Services
2005-0729 - Newstalk ZB -
Commissioner for sex abuse claims
An independent commissioner has been appointed to investigate allegations of
sexual abuse at Wellington's Berhampore Children's Home. Thirteen people have
complained of being sexually abused during the 50s and 60s by its former
head, Walter Lake, who died almost 20 years ago before police could lay
charges
2005-0711 - Complaint to Broadcasting
Standards Authority
With reference to the programme "The Monster of Berhampore, broadcast by
TVNZ on May 1, 2005
2005-0530 - Dominion Post -
Progress on sex abuse compo
by Anna Chalmers - Berhampore Children's Home sex abuse complainants are
hopeful of a resolution after meeting Presbyterian Support. The agency has
changed tack in its handling of the former residents' allegations of sexual
and physical abuse by justice of the peace Walter Lake, who headed the
Wellington orphanage.
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peterellis.org
May 27 2005
This site publishes today a transcript of an interview of Mavis Van Dalen
by Radio New Zealand that was conducted on May 3 2005 (refer below).
The transcript raises serious concerns about the media coverage of the
Berhampore case. On May 1st, TVNZ
ran a programme "The Monster of Berhampore" (Also refer coverage
on this site). That programme presented Mavis Van Dalen as providing a "major
revelation". It stated that Van Dalen worked at the home and
reported that Van Dalen had told the head of the Presbyterian Church that
Lake was a sexual predator.
What the Radio New Zealand transcript makes clear, and has not been reported
anywhere else is that Van Dalen is not an independent adult witness
who was corroborating the stories of the children - but that she was simply
repeating what she was told at a Berhampore Reunion over 30 years after she
worked at the home. In fact, Van Dalen provided no "new
revelation".
Her evidence is valueless.
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2005-0524 - Otago Daily Times -
Church operation makes U-turn in sex-abuse case
NZPA - Wellington: Presbyterian Support’s hard-line 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 Presbyterian Church that the complainants have been treated with a
“lack of respect and sensitivity”.
2005-0524 - Dominion Post -
More claims of abuse
by Sophie Neville - More former Berhampore Children's Home residents have
alleged abuse at the hands of Walter Lake after a softening of Presbyterian
Support's hard-line approach toward complainants. Shona Brown, 49, and her
brothers Michael, 44, and Ross, 46, told The Dominion Post yesterday they had
suffered sexual and physical abuse for years.
2005-0523 - One News - Abuse
victims granted meeting
Presbyterian Support Central has agreed to meet representatives of
complainants alleging historic abuse at the Berhampore Children's Home in
Wellington. About 15 former residents say they were sexually abused by the
home's former manager, Walter Lake, who died before charges could be laid.
2005-0523 - Dominion Post -
U-turn on sex abuse
by Sophie Neville - 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.
2005-0507 - Dominion Post -
Church should face responsibilities
Editorial - Childhood can be a lonely time for disadvantaged kids,
particularly those growing up without parents. Agencies which act in loco
parentis take a huge responsibility on their shoulders. Recent allegations
suggest that is a responsibility Presbyterian Support Services has not borne well.
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peterellis.org
May 4 2005
Trevor Roberts and
the Presbyterian Support organisation deserve congratulations for their
inspired stand with regard to the allegations of abuse at the Berhampore
home, regardless of the message contained within Tom Scott's cartoon
(below).
Presbyterian Support should listen with empathy to allegations of abuse,
and perhaps even offer counselling, but to either believe or disbelieve
allegations of abuse without a thorough investigation would be simply
foolish.
The time for being generous with support and compensation is when abuse has
been established, and not when allegations are made. If abuse has occurred
there is cause to be very generous.
To pay compensation based solely on allegations would be both unfair to the
Presbyterian organisation, and also to the memory of Walter Lake. It would invite the possibility of fraud,
has as already occurred in the St John of God debacle.
Allegations of sexual abuse are extremely serious, regardless of the truth
of the allegation.
Presbyterian Support must be tempted to be generous and to simply payout,
and to be seen to be understanding and caring about the terrible crime of
sexual abuse that has possibly occurred in one of their homes. The temptation must be even more when Trevor
Roberts is accused by National Radio Linda Clark (May 3) of
"revictimising the victims" (which of course makes the assumption
that abuse has occurred)
But if Presbyterian Support were to adopt a policy of "believing"
complainants without an investigation, they would be acting outside all
considerations of natural justice where an accused person is innocent until
proven guilty.
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2005-0504 - Tom Scott: "Responding Quickly"
2005-0503 - Radio NZ -
Nine To Noon Transcript
New May
27 2005
Interview of Mavis Van Dalen by Linda Clark -
Linda
Clark - I spoke to Mavis Van Dalen before we came on air this morning
- I began by asking her when she first became aware of the claims of sexual
abuse.
Mavis
Van Dalen - There was a reunion (in 1990) organised for the children
of the children’s home to which I went, and I heard a comment from one young
woman to another. And some months later I queried it with Kathleen who told
me what had happened to her
2005-0503 - Marlborough
Express - Claims need addressing
Editorial - The Presbyterian Church needs to practise more of the compassion
and caring that it preaches and willingly help expose any sexual abuse which
may have occurred at a Wellington children's home operating under its
auspices, writes The Marlborough Exprees in an editorial. To date, neither the church nor
Presbyterian Support has accepted any responsibility over the allegations
from at least 14 former residents of a Presbyterian Support children's home
in Berhampore that they were sexually abused during the 1950s and 60s by the
home's head of social services, Walter Lake
2005-0503 - Dominion Post -
Bid to 'strip victims bare'
Gordon Paine
(from One News)
by Oskar Alley - A Presbyterian group at the centre of sex abuse allegations
against orphanage boss Wally Lake tried to delve into victims' personal lives
by accessing their police records and psychiatric histories. Lawyer Gordon
Paine, who acts for 13 victims, said yesterday that Presbyterian Support had
tried to "strip the victims bare", asking them to sign waivers
granting access to their police records and medical and psychiatric files.
The complainants refused.
2005-0502 - NZ Herald -
Presbyterians refuse to talk if lawyers involved
NZPA - A Presbyterian group is refusing to deal with at least 14 people who
say they were sexually abused at a children's home if they have hired a
lawyer or gone public with their claims. Former residents who engage a lawyer
or speak to the media will have to prove their claims in court, says
Presbyterian Support Services spokesman Trevor Roberts.
2005-0502 -
Presbyterian Church - The Berhampore home case
Some matters have not been adequately covered in the newspaper, radio and
television reports, even though we have given careful detailed briefings.
This information may help answer questions you have about the Church’s
response to this matter.
2005-0502 - One News - Handling
of sex abuse claims defended
Kathleen Batchelor
(from One News)
Presbyterian Support is defending its handling of historic sexual
abuse claims at one of its children's homes. At least 14 former residents of
the Berhampore Children's Home in Wellington have told police they were
sexually abused at the home in the 1950s and 1960s by Walter Lake, who ran
the orphanage for 20 years.
2005-0502 - One News - Abuse
victims deprived of justice
Mavis
Van Dalen
(from One News)
Walter Lake was one of the leaders of the Presbyterian Support Services. He
was an OBE, justice of the peace, World War II veteran and Sunday school
teacher. But there was another side to the respected pillar of society who
died five months ago. Lake, who ran the Berhampore orphanage for 20 years,
has been revealed as a sexual monster who terrorised and preyed on small
children in his care….Mavis Van Dalen, a deaconess who damns the way the
Presbyterian's are handling the Walter Lake scandal, told the Presbyterian
Church he was a sexual predator.
2005-0502 - Manawatu
Standard - Sex attack claims
Trevor Roberts, Presbyterian Support
(from One News)
A Presbyterian
group is refusing to deal with at least 14 people who claim they were
sexually abused at a Wellington children's home if they have hired a lawyer
or gone public with their claims. Presbyterian Support Services spokesman
Trevor Roberts said former residents who engaged a lawyer or spoke to the
media would have to prove their claims in court.
2005-0502 - Green Party -
Presbyterian Group Should Not Ignore Claims
Detective
Sergeant Glenn Williams
(from One News)
by Sue Bradford - It is appalling that Presbyterian Support Services should
be re-victimising sexual abuse victims by refusing to talk with them if they
have tried to fight for recognition of their claims, Green Social Services Spokesperson
Sue Bradford says. Police have revealed that they were poised to charge
Walter Lake, the former head of Presbyterian Support Services' children's
home in Berhampore, with multiple sex crimes, but he died before the charges
could be laid
2005-0502 - Dominion Post - Sex
abuse victims' battle
Walter Lake
(from One News)
A Presbyterian
group is refusing to deal with at least 14 people who say they were sexually
abused at a Wellington children's home if they have hired a lawyer or gone
public with their claims. Presbyterian Support Services spokesman Trevor
Roberts said former residents who engaged a lawyer or spoke to the media
would have to prove their claims in court.
2005-0502 - Dominion Post - A
home away from home for many .
The Berhampore Children's Home was built as an orphanage in 1912. Its single
building, surrounded by six hectares (15 acres) of land, housed up to 50
children. Two more buildings, for older boys and for girls, were added later.
By 1923 there were 103 children in fulltime care in the three buildings
2005-0501 - TVNZ-Sunday - The
Monster of Berhampore
He was an OBE, a Justice of the Peace and a leader in the Presbyterian
Church. But this model citizen was also a sexual monster and his victims
believe there has been a cover-up. Sunday explores the controversial
allegations surrounding the case
2005-0429 -
Presbyterian Church - Response to the Berhampore home case
by Josephine Reader - “Our first priority is safety of those in our care. We
take extremely seriously complaints of assault, abuse or inaction. “These complaints relate to alleged
incidents at a home that wasn’t under the management or control of the
Presbyterian Church. However, an allegation that during 1991 the Moderator of
the Church’s General Assembly took no action when he was informed of
conversations during which people spoke about being abused is our
responsibility.
 2005-0405 - One News - Anger over
alleged orphanage abuse
Alleged sexual abuse at a Wellington orphanage 40 years ago has been the
focus of an angry demonstration. Protesters rallied outside Presbyterian
Support Services in the capital on Tuesday, demanding formal recognition of
their claims. They say at least seven former residents of Berhampore
children's home were abused in the 1960's by the then head of social
services, Walter Lake
2004-1201 - Dominion Post -
Child-abuse accused dies
An elderly man accused of sexually abusing youngsters decades ago at a Wellington
children's home has died. Police plan to end their investigation into
allegations of historical sexual abuse against a staff member of the former
Berhampore Children's Home. Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Perry said the
accused man died on November 21
2004-0709 - One News -
Children's home abuse investigated
 A
top Wellington police officer is to head an investigation into mulitiple
complaints of sexual abuse against a man who ran a children's home in
Wellington nearly 50 years ago. The accusations are against Walter Lake, 83,
a justice of the peace who headed the Presbyterian church's Berhampore
childen's home in the 1950s and 1960s. Kathleen Batchelor is one of at least
seven people who claim Lake, the former head of the Presbyterian church's
social services division, sexually assaulted them when they were children in
his care
2004-0620 - Media watch -
Interview: The Bill Ralston Show
Russell Brown - On Tuesday One News broke two. On Holmes there were claims of
sexual abuse in a childrens' home in Wellington forty years ago….. And
unusually the programme named the accused man.
2004-0618 - Dominion Post -
Home abuse claims investigated
by Andrew Kelly - Presbyterian Support is investigating claims of abuse at a
Wellington children's home during the 1960s. Former residents have made
allegations against a former employee of Presbyterian Support Central, which
ran the Berhampore children's home. A spokesman for the charitable trust,
Trevor Roberts, said it had investigated two complaints made in 2002 about
the man's conduct. Last week, it learned of two other complainants, and has
made initial inquiries into their cases
2004-0616 - NZ Herald -
Presbyterian Support Services to investigate abuse claims
Church welfare organisation Presbyterian Support Services is
investigating sexual abuse allegations dating back more than 40 years. The
allegations have been made against a former employee of a children's home run
by the organisation. The alleged offender is now in his eighties
2004-0616 - Evening
Standard - Abuse claims target church
by Jonathan McKenzie and NZPA - A Palmerston North woman has sparked
an investigation into alleged sexual abuse at a Presbyterian Support Services
children's home more than 40 years ago. The woman, who cannot be named for
legal reasons, says she was abused by a worker while she was in care at a
home in the Wellington suburb of Berhampore. Church welfare organisation
Presbyterian Support Services is investigating the allegations against the
former employee of the home, which was run by the organisation. The alleged
offender is now in his 80s and denies the allegations
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