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Allegations
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A former resident of
Eltham's Salvation Army boys' home claims he would not be the man he is today
without the help of the church. New Plymouth man Arnold
Parker said yesterday he was concerned the positive aspects of living in the
Salvation Army's care would be lost in the hype of recent allegations of
abuse of children. The Salvation Army is
investigating eight historical claims that children in its New Zealand homes
were abused. The investigation
follows an apology by the Salvation Army in Australia on Monday for abuse
suffered by children in its care. Some children in the
care of the Salvation Army in Australia in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s had
received financial compensation for abuse, which included cases of physical
and sexual abuse. Mr Parker, now 70,
lived at Eltham's Mercy Jenkins Home from 1942 to 1948, following the
breakdown of his parents' marriage. While Mr Parker
admitted there were instances of physical abuse -- in the form of corporal
punishment -- in the boys' home, it was normal discipline for the era, he
said. "That's the way it was then and it was accepted. They would make
bruises on our backsides, but the marks are now gone. They needed some form
of discipline." Mr Parker remembered
getting six of the best on his backside after he and a group of mates
"escaped" from the home for a few days. He did not believe the
discipline affected him greatly. "If I hadn't have
been there, I don't think I would have so much respect and feelings," he
said. "They taught me to
stand on my own two feet. Without them, I wouldn't have had a lot in life, I
wouldn't have had three meals a day and somewhere to put my head at
night." Mr Parker said the home
taught him a variety of life skills, including growing vegetables, feeding
the animals, milking cows, polishing floors, mending shoes and washing
dishes. He believed being
taught basic life skills helped him to strive for accomplishments, such as
building his own home. Although Mr Parker was
approached by a Christchurch lawyer representing former Salvation Army boys'
home residents, to bring a case against the church, Mr Parker chose not to. "I felt it would
do more harm than good. Lawyers can twist words and make more damage." Mr Parker said he did
not believe in using his upbringing as an excuse for how life turned out. "If you have got
the guts and gumption, you can make life what you want it to be. You can't
blame what happens in your life on what happened earlier. It's a
cop-out," he said. Mr Parker was proud of
his life and his family, and had no regrets about his upbringing by The
Salvation Army, he said. It would be a shame if
the good works of The Salvation Army were tarnished because of the abuse
allegations, like what had happened with the Catholic church, Mr Parker said.
-------------------- CAPTION: LOOK BACK: Former
Eltham Salvation Army boys' home resident Arnold Parker looks at a reunion
book for the home. Photo: ADRIAN MALLOCH |
