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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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The cadet hadn't
showered for a couple of days, and wasn't nice to be near. So his fellow cadets
did it for him -- with a yard broom, mops, soap powder, and cold water. Fraser* was among the
group dishing out the treatment. It was Waiouru cadet school, 1974. The memories have been
coming back for Fraser, now living in Timaru, because of the recent publicity
about former cadets claiming they were abused at the school during their time
there. The cleansing incident
probably lasted about five minutes, and he doesn't believe the cadet suffered
any injuries. As far as he's aware, no complaint was made, and no action was
taken. "He came out quite
embarrassed, it was humiliating for him ... he showered after that. I regret
it now, and would never do anything like that again, and never as an
NCO." Fraser was just 15 and
a half -- the minimum age accepted -- when he travelled from Lyttelton to
Wellington on the Rangatira, and then by bus to Waiouru, to become a
"boy cadet". He was at Waiouru for
two years, but it wasn't until halfway through the second year that he heard
the term "barrelling" used -- and that was when he was on course at
Trentham, and he was told not to talk to the media about barrelling. He had to make
inquiries as to what barrelling was -- effectively, it's a beating -- but
says he never saw it happen in his time at Waiouru. He now wonders whether
that comment was made as a result of inquiries being made at higher levels,
but he never heard of an NCO being "busted" for beatings. And he hates to think
that some of the men he was responsible for as he moved up the ranks might
have been subject to that, and he wasn't aware. Spooning is another
practice he heard about three years after he left Waiouru and was in the
regular force. "Another regular
force NCO walked up and said "you're a spoonie". And I thought,
what the hell's that?" He found out later it's
the practice of beating a man about the testicles with spoons. Some former
cadets have said this week that they were subjected to that practice. The publicity hasn't
soured Fraser's memories of his 16-year army career, nor destroyed the
respect he holds for regular force cadets. He is saddened at the trauma
former cadets are experiencing, but says it's important people realise there
were good people at Waiouru, people who wouldn't harm a soul. "I'd like to go
back, but I can't, but to have those cadets under my wing." Fraser says there were
ways of disciplining cadets who weren't up to scratch -- extra duties,
cleaning the ablutions. Violence wasn't necessary. However, a corporal and
a cadet once slugged it out in the boxing ring, and after a three-minute
bout, shook hands. That also, he feels, has to be a better way. He wonders a little at
those who have complained about bed-tipping -- a practice used when a cadet
hadn't made his bed to the required standard -- and he also thinks the same
thing happened if clothing wasn't folded properly in drawers. He remembers gunge
parades -- a punishment for a cadet not doing their washing. "One guy was found
with a pair of dirty underpants, they were put on his head, and he walked a
gauntlet through the whole platoon, under the direction of the platoon
sergeant." The 30 cadets would
kick and punch at him as he walked past. He can understand if
cadets were unwilling to complain about alleged violence during their time at
Waiouru, but for those who carried on into the army, feels there could have
been opportunities for them to raise the matter with a trusted officer. "There is such a
thing as redressing wrongs under the Armed Forces Discipline Act. That might
have been better, and maybe the army might have dealt with it better. "And if I had been
discharged because of getting beatings, I would have spoken to my parents --
dad would have asked my why I had left the army, and I would have told him --
if I had been beaten three times, or spooned, and he would have gone back to
the military." If the allegations are
found proved -- and that's a matter for an inquiry to decide -- Fraser says
the culprits will have it on their conscience. * (Name has been changed
to protect identity). |
