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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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Defence Minister Mark
Burton today announced terms of reference for the inquiry into allegations of
abuse at the Army's former cadet school at Waiouru. Former High Court judge
David Morris has already begun work on the inquiry, which was sparked by former
army communications officer Ian Fraser publishing a report on an online news
service last month about alleged violence and abuse at the school. Reaction to the report
included hundreds of corroborating accounts from other cadets. Mr Burton said today in
a statement that Mr Morris would present a written report, with
recommendations, to him by March 31, 2005. Mr Morris would look
into the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the Waiouru school from 1948
until it closed in 1991, as well as the events surrounding the killing at the
school of cadet Grant Bain in 1981. His tasks would
include: · assessing information received by Mr
Burton, the Defence Force, Mr Fraser and the media, from former cadets and
their families · separating issues of general mistreatment
from those that involved criminal offending · reviewing the events surrounding Grant
Bain's death, including meeting with his family to help identify outstanding
issues · identifying allegations that fell outside
the scope of assessment and referring them to the appropriate agency Mr Burton said anyone
with concerns about the school that had not yet contacted him or the NZDF
should do so immediately. "We want to ensure
that former cadets and their families who have concerns can air them and be
listened to," Mr Burton said. The final report will
be presented to Cabinet. Nearly 300 former cadet
soldiers have contacted Mr Fraser since he published his report. Mr Fraser
claims about a third of all cadets suffered abuse at the school up until it
closed in 1991. |
