Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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Wellington: A long delayed
inquiry into allegations of abuse at the army’s former cadet school in
Waiouru has been further held up by legal checks. Defence Minister Phil
Goff said legal steps - such as seeking consent of people named in the
report, authorisation to disclose an earlier inquiry’s findings, and showing
it to people criticised in the report - had to be taken before former High
Court judge David Morris’ report could be released. The inquiry was sparked
last October when former army sergeant Ian Fraser, himself a former cadet,
published an article reporting widespread physical, psychological and sexual
abuse of cadets as young as 15 at the school in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Justice Morris’ inquiry
began in November last year and was to have been completed by the end of
March but was held up when he suffered a heart problem. Mr Goff said the report
was received on October 6 and was referred to Crown Law. “The legal advice
suggested I should take a number of steps prior to the release but I will be
releasing the report as soon as I have followed those steps,” Mr Goff told
National Radio. Judge Morris was asked
to look into the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the school from 1948
until it closed in 1991 as well as events surrounding the killing of cadet
Grant Bain who was shot in the barracks by another cadet in 1981. Mr Goff said the judge
had kept in contact with the Bain family. “I can certainly
understand their frustration - they have lived for more than 22 years with
the frustration of believing that the way in which the death of their brother
and son was dealt with was inadequate — and they’re anxious of course now to
see those events exposed in the public and to get the report findings
formally.” Mr Fraser had claimed
about a third of all cadets suffered abuse at the school and his aim was to
gain recognition and possible compensation for those suffering continuing
problems from their abuse. His story prompted
about 300 former cadets to report their experiences at Waiouru. Grant Bain’s brother
Murray said he felt the judge had carried out an impartial inquiry. “We’re quietly
confident . . . we’ll wait and see,” he told National Radio. |