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Allegations of Abuse in Institutions |
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Claims
of sexual abuse against the Exclusive Brethren should be taken to the police,
says Prime Minister Helen Clark. She
made the comments in response to a TV One report in which an unidentified
former member of the conservative Christian group said she knew of multiple
cases of child sex abuse. Parliament
returned from a three-week recess yesterday and Clark's anger at the sect's
reported hiring of private investigators to dig up dirt on her husband, Peter
Davis, and Labour MPs was still evident. "I
am always concerned about claims of sexual abuse and cover-ups of it,"
Clark said. She
urged anyone with such claims to take them to police. "It is important
that sexual predators are brought to justice." Asked
whether she wanted an official inquiry into the Exclusive Brethren, Clark
said: "I don't have a view on that at the present time." A
national police spokesman said he was not aware of any complaints having been
laid by the woman, who appeared on camera with her face hidden. "If she
has the allegations, she needs to report them to her local police and it will
be dealt with," he said. TV
One reported on Monday night that the woman had given it the names of seven
men she said were involved in sexual abuse, and she was prepared to
co-operate with any police inquiry. TV
One said yesterday that another sect member had come forward with allegations
of sexual abuse. Efforts
to contact Exclusive Brethren members for comment were unsuccessful. |
