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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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The trial of a former Salvation
Army officer on a variety of historical sexual abuse charges was adjourned
for a day yesterday for what was being described as procedural matters. John Francis Gainsford, 69, of
Auckland, is standing trial in the High Court at Timaru on 23 charges
relating to his alleged abuse of eight children, seven girls and a boy, while
he was the manager of the church's Bramwell Booth children's' home at Temuka
in the 1970s. The trial began before Justice
Fogarty and a jury of three men and nine women on Monday, and was due to
resume at 11am yesterday. When media arrived at the court
yesterday, they were told the case had been adjourned for a further three
hours for what was described as procedural matters. The trial was then expected to get
under way at 2.15pm, but was delayed again, with court staff stating it had
been adjourned until 11am this morning. At the start of the trial
Gainsford pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault on a girl aged
under 12, and inducing a girl then aged under 12 to do an indecent act on
him. He has pleaded not guilty to three
charges of rape, one of attempted rape, 10 of indecently assaulting girls
under 12, three charges of doing an indecent act on a girl under 12, inducing
a girl under 12 to do an indecent act (two charges), indecent assault on a
girl aged 12-16 (two charges) and two charges of indecently assaulting a boy
under 16. The charges were all alleged to
have taken place between January 1973 and January 1975. Most of the charges
were alleged to have occurred at the home or nearby, although one of
complainants alleged she was indecently assaulted by Gainsford at the
Pleasant Point swimming pool. The trial is set down to last at
least two weeks. Opening the crown case on Monday,
Tim Gresson told the court he planned to call all eight complainants. Also on
his witness list was Gainsford's former wife. The couple separated in the mid
1980s. The only witness to have completed
her evidence so far is officer in charge of the case Detective Tracey Miron. The first female complainant was
giving evidence when the court rose on Monday.
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