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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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The Salvation Army can
expect more abuse cases to be brought against it, a sex abuse lawyer
believes. The Salvation Army said
yesterday it was dealing with four claims of sex abuse and four of other
abuse. It would not provide details of the claims. Sonja Cooper, a
Wellington-based lawyer, said she was dealing with another case, a woman who
was allegedly abused while living at a Salvation Army home in Wellington
between 1951 and 1961. The Salvation Army had
not been informed of the case because the legal team was still finalising
evidence and dealing with legal aid, she said. "There are a
significant number of other claims still to come for the Salvation Army.
Abuse was endemic in institutions at that time. It was a time when many, many
New Zealand children were abused." People often suppressed
memories as a way of coping and came forward only after reading about similar
cases, she said. Salvation Army
spokesman Alistair Herring said yesterday it had received several more
telephone calls from people claiming to have suffered abuse. "We have set up
processes to hear them and set in train what they are seeking. We are taking
appropriate action for that to happen and we are only too pleased to hear
from those people." The Salvation Army's
chief secretary for New Zealand, Lieutenant-Colonel Garth McKenzie, said none
of the cases had been referred to the police. "Frequently,
people don't want matters referred to the police. I know it seems odd. Maybe
they want to be heard and we enable that to happen. We follow through
appropriately and if it becomes a police matter we would refer it on to
them." The cases were
particularly hard to deal with because the events were up to 40 years old and
many of the people involved were dead, he said. The Salvation Army was
appalled, however, at the idea that people in their care had been abused. It is estimated the
Salvation Army cared for between 6000 and 8000 children at the 15 centres it
operated between 1903 and 1993. Kapiti resident Jan
Lowe said this week that two years after going to the Salvation Army she was
still seeking an apology and compensation for abuse and neglect suffered at
the Whatman Children's Home in Masterton between 1958 and 1960. Mr McKenzie said he was
surprised at the delay with Ms Lowe's case and the Salvation Army was looking
into it. Seven remaining cases had been received in the past year and were
being dealt with. So far no compensation
had been paid, he said. |
