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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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A surprise witness sobbed in the
High Court in Timaru as she recounted seeing former Salvation Army captain
John Gainsford fondling a girl while giving her a piggy-back ride. Christina Cullen, who contacted
police on Tuesday after seeing publicity about the Gainsford case, said she
was metres from Gainsford as he fondled the girl while talking to a woman.
She said the woman would not have seen what Gainsford was doing. Cullen said she was shocked by
what she saw and her stomach knotted. Gainsford, 69, has pleaded guilty
to four indecency counts but denied 23 of indecency and rape relating to his
tenure as manager of the Bramwell Booth children's home in Temuka, South
Canterbury, in the 1970s. Cullen approached Taranaki police
after reading about the Gainsford case on the Stuff news website. Cullen said she was a St John
cadet leader in Temuka at the time Gainsford worked at the home, and took
four girls to a barbecue. As they were about to leave one
girl said she wanted to live with her and not go back to the home. Cullen said she asked why, but the
girl seemed reluctant to talk. She asked again "and it was like a seal
had been broken". She said the girls bombarded her
with information, saying Gainsford had touched them. Cullen said the things
they talked about they should not have known about. Cullen said that when she took the
girls back to the home they told her about the piggy-back rides, and when she
drove in she saw him with a girl on his back. Cullen said the first thing she
did was betray the girls' trust -- she had promised to keep their secret --
by telling her supervisor. After the holidays, Cullen heard Gainsford had
left the home. Earlier, a complainant said Gainsford used a blanket to hide
his indecent touching during story time. The former resident said Gainsford
used to touch her indecently under the blanket. Other children would turn the
pages of the book. She said Gainsford would wash the private
parts of the girls at bath time, but wash other parts of them if anyone came
into the room. One night, she said, she locked
herself in the toilet all night after waking to find Gainsford near her bed
and her nightdress was up and pyjama pants down. |
