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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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All records of a meeting between
the Salvation Army and its officer accused of indecencies with children, were
missing from a bound minute book. Giving evidence in an historic sex
abuse trial in the High Court at Timaru yesterday, Detective Tracey Miron of
the Timaru CIB said minutes of meetings around the time John Francis
Gainsford had been called to a meeting in Wellington, were missing from the
bound minute book of the army's advisory board. Gainsford, 69, a former Salvation
Army officer, had managed the church's Bramwell Booth childrens home at
Temuka from January 1973 to January 1975. At that time he was a captain in
the Salvation Army. Gainsford, who now lives north of
Auckland, has pleaded not guilty to 23 indecency charges. At the start of
yesterday's trial he pleaded guilty to a further four charges. Asked by Gainsford's counsel Paul
Dacre, whether she was aware Gainsford had been called to Wellington in late
1974 as a result of a complaint regarding his behaviour towards some of the
children at the home, Detective Miron said she was, but all records of the
meeting as well as some other documents from late November 1974, were
missing. She had located a bound minute
book of the church's advisory board, but it was clear to her documentation
relating to about that time, had been removed. She was unable to find any
church documents relating to the complaint. |
