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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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The brother of a woman
suing Catholic authorities for abuse while in care has hinted that nuns
touched him inappropriately. "Bath time was not
a happy time," the man said in the High Court at Wellington yesterday. One of his sister's
lawyers asked the man if he had been sexually abused at a Catholic boys' home
near Nelson. He replied that the boys were sometimes cleaned "a little
bit better" than they needed to be. It was tough being at the home, he
said. He was there from the age of four to 12. The man was giving
evidence for the Catholic side of the case against his sister and he defended
Catholic Social Services' role in his upbringing. A social worker had been
like a big sister to him, and the service had been good to him. It arranged
reunions of the seven children in their family who were split up when their
parents separated, he said. His sister is suing
Wellington's Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Catholic Social Services, The
Sisters of Mercy (Wellington) Trust Board, and St Joseph's Orphanage Trust
Board, for $550,000. She and two sisters
were sent to St Joseph's Orphanage and went to St Joseph's School in Upper
Hutt in the 1960s. She was then a boarder at St Mary's College, Wellington. Her brother said he had
refused to support his sister in the case when she was considering taking it
in 2000. She said she would make money off someone and would secure a future
for her sons. The woman has denied saying that. Her brother said she
had never said she was hurt or abused, physically or sexually. Part of the woman's
claim covers a nun's alleged assault on her that she said tore her eardrum. Her brother said he had
problems with his ears all his life and had a perforated eardrum. One of his
brothers told him their father had hurt his ears. The nuns had also given him
"a few good smacks" around the ears, he said. His sister has said she
was strapped. The brother said the nuns at his home never had a strap but
would give a "bit of a poke and a bit of a whack" with a piece of
wood. Another witness told
the court of happy times at St Joseph's Orphanage at the same time the
claimant was there. She saw discipline and
was sometimes strapped herself, but did not see any physical abuse. It was lots of fun and
quite a loving atmosphere, she said. The case enters its
third week on Monday. |
