Allegations of Abuse in Institutions
	Abuse in NZ Institutions - Main Index St Josephs Orphanage, Upper Hutt
	The Dominion Post September 14 2005 Blow 'unlikely' to tear eardrum A former orphanage girl's torn eardrum was very unlikely to have been the result of a blow, a specialist has told a High Court judge. Peter Blake was giving evidence in Wellington yesterday for two of the Catholic organisations being sued for $550,000 by a former St Joseph's Orphanage girl. The claimant, now 45, says she was verbally, emotionally, physically and sexually abused in the 1960s and 70s, when she and six siblings were put into Catholic care after their parents separated. The Wellington Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Catholic Social Services, the Sisters of Mercy (Wellington) Trust Board, and St Joseph's Orphanage Trust Board are defending the claim on factual and legal grounds. The claimant alleged a nun at the Upper Hutt orphanage repeatedly hit her across the side of her head when she was found looking at another girl's schoolbook. She said her ear was sore and discharges came from it till it was fixed surgically after she left school. Earlier in the case an Australian specialist said the damage was almost certainly the result of a blow. The nun has denied the assault and Mr Blake said his strong opinion was the damage was the result of significant childhood ear disease, not injury. Mr Blake will be cross-examined today. A former orphanage girl, Margaret Rangiwhetu, who gave evidence via video-link from Sydney, said she had a happy time at St Joseph's Orphanage. The girls were given treats and taken on outings when she was there in the late 1960s. The discipline was firm but she never saw anyone strapped. Sister Mary Agnes Finucane was in charge of St Joseph's Orphanage from 1972-79. She said she remembered once having to tell the claimant that her mother was not coming to see her as expected. The claimant was bright and breezy at the time but Sister Agnes said she later learned the claimant had been crying at school about it. She thought Catholic Social Services was concerned about the length of time the claimant and her sisters had been at the orphanage.