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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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All allegations of
abuse at the Waiouru Army cadet school will be investigated in a neutral way
and evaluated in context, Minister of Defence Mark Burton has promised. The terms of reference
were announced yesterday for the Ministerial Review into the allegations of
abuse at the school. They surfaced last month when former cadet Ian Fraser
published a report for an online news service. The review will look at
the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the school between 1948 and 1991,
the events surrounding the killing of cadet Grant Bain in 1981 and any other
related matters. Former High Court judge
David Morris was appointed two weeks ago to head the inquiry and has begun
work on the investigation. Justice Morris will
assess the information received by Mr Burton's office, and the Defence Force,
as well as information from ex-cadets and their families. He will separate issues
of alleged general mistreatment from those that may amount to criminal
offending. Justice Morris has also
been asked to identify allegations outside the scope of the inquiry and refer
them to the responsible organisation. Mr Burton said Justice
Morris could use any source or information, including historical Defence
Force material, that he considered useful. It is expected Justice
Morris will consult the police and the Crown Law Office. Justice Morris will
present his report and appropriate recommendations by March 31 next year. Mr Fraser said he was
happy with the terms of reference. "They appear broad
enough to cover all the issues. The language used is pretty straightforward,
plain English. The terms of reference separate the three main issues, namely,
the Bain killing, and separation of criminal abuse vs institutionalised
abuse." A week ago, the police
appointed a detective superintendent to head an investigation into their
handling of the shooting of Grant Bain. A team is examining the
prosecution of senior cadet Andrew William Read, who killed Mr Bain at the
cadet school. Earlier intentions to
refer the case to the Police Complaints Authority fell through as it lacks
jurisdiction over events before 1988. Grant Bain, aged 17,
was shot in the neck after Read threatened him with an M-16 rifle. Read, also
17, was charged with careless use of a firearm causing death. The Bain family say
police and the Army conspired to cover up the death and they believe the
charge should have been manslaughter. Read received a $200
fine and 200 hours of community service. He died in a logging accident in
1998.
Former High Court judge
David Morris will look into the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the
Waiouru school from 1948 until it closed in 1991. He will also review events
surrounding the killing at the school of cadet Grant Bain in 1981. His tasks will
include:Assessing information received by Defence Minister Mark Burton, the
Defence Force, whistleblower Ian Fraser and the media, from former cadets and
their families. Separating issues of
general mistreatment from those that involved criminal offending. Meeting Grant Bain's
family to help identify outstanding issues. Identifying allegations
that fell outside the scope of assessment and referring them to the
appropriate agency. |
