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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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Former Salvation Army captain John
Gainsford asked an 11-year-old boy to pray with him, and then, with one hand
on the back of his head, made the boy perform oral sex, the High Court at
Timaru heard yesterday. The complainant said he then
vomited over the carpet, Gainsford's trousers and shoes, and Gainsford became
angry, saying "look at the bloody mess you've made", and insisted
the boy clean it up. Gainsford then said the boy wasn't
to tell anyone, otherwise he'd do the same to the boy's sister and see to it
they were adopted out. Gainsford, 69, of Auckland, is
appearing before Justice Fogarty and a jury of nine women and three men on 23
indecency and rape charges. He has pleaded guilty to three
charges of indecent assault on a girl aged under 12, and a charge of inducing
a girl then aged under 12 to do an indecent act on him. The trial relates to alleged
offending at Temuka's Bramwell Booth Home in the early 1970s when Gainsford
was manager. The court yesterday heard from
four complainants. The male complainant also gave
evidence of Gainsford fondling him when he was in the bath, ostensibly to
check he had washed himself properly. He also remembered walking past
Gainsford's office and seeing him with a small girl – aged four or five – on
his knee. Her panties were around her ankles, and Gainsford was rubbing his
hand on her genitals. In cross-examination, the witness
was told Gainsford would say that at no stage did he suggest he get down and
pray, and then sexually violate him. "He knows different. He
forgets I was there as well." A female complainant spoke of
piggyback rides and other incidents during which Gainsford committed
indecencies. She also gave evidence of
Gainsford coming into the "big girls' dormitory at night" and
getting into bed with some of the girls. She remembered hearing a girl
crying one night, and about to get up to see what was wrong, she noticed
Gainsford was in the bed as well, so she immediately lay down and pretended
to be asleep. "Because I didn't want Mr
Gainsford coming to me next." The witness also spoke of playing
outside Gainsford's home and being called into the house. She found Gainsford
sitting on the toilet, and he asked her to touch his penis. She refused, and
left the house. Another witness told the court of
waking up and finding Gainsford in bed with her. He left when she woke. She said Gainsford cuddled the
children a lot, but would run his hands under their clothing. "I just remember the hands –
it kind of makes you crawl." Under cross-examination, another
witness agreed that the first time she had spoken about being raped by
Gainsford was in conversation with a Salvation Army representative earlier
this year. She said she had not previously
spoken about being raped because she felt ashamed and dirty for allowing
Gainsford to do that to her. When told Gainsford would say that
the allegations she had made of rape, and indecent assault were not true, the
witness said she'd expect him to say that. "He can say whatever he wants
to, but at the end of the day, I know what he did." |
