|
|
Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
|
|
|
|
A former company commander
at the Waiouru regular force cadet school said today there was a culture of
bullying and secrecy at the camp, despite the findings of an independent
inquiry. Timothy Rabbidge was in
charge of the school in 1981, when Grant Bain, 17, was shot dead by Cadet
Corporal Andrew Read. The inquiry into a
number of allegations of abuse at the school between 1948 and 1991, by former
High Court Judge David Morris, found that were cases of bullying and in some
instances serious sexual assaults, but there was no culture of violence. "There was, there
definitely was," Mr Rabbidge told National Radio. There was "an
awful lot of bullying" that went on, but he was powerless to prevent it,
he said. He did his
"utmost" to try and stop it, but "could not be everywhere, all
the time". When he arrived at the
cadet school, he said he was not scared of the cadets but was
"horrified" by what went on. Mr Rabbidge said he
would often patrol the barracks until 10pm or later but the incidents would
always take place away from where he was patrolling. "It was a culture
of secrecy and it was a culture of bullying," he said. Defence Force Chief Air
Marshall Bruce Ferguson said yesterday that the investigation had largely
exonerated the Army for decisions made at the time of Mr Bain's death. But he acknowledged
that words would "never be sufficient to alleviate the grief felt by
Cadet Bain's family". Judge Morris found that
Read, who died in 1998, should have been charged with manslaughter at the
time of Mr Bain's death, not the lesser charge of careless use of a firearm. However, Mr Rabbidge
said Mr Bain's death should never have happened. The Government
yesterday issued a formal apology to Mr Bain's family. They had sought an
apology and compensation for many years. Defence Minister Phil
Goff said he deeply regretted it had taken so long to investigate the
shooting. "I wasn't even in
Parliament but mistakes were made and I apologise formally, on behalf of the
Government generally, for that," he said on TV One. "That is an
absolute apology." Meanwhile, Ian Fraser,
the former cadet whose revelations sparked the inquiry, said today he was
pleased that he spoke out and was "humbled" by the response. Mr Fraser, who now
lives in Perth, said abuse at the school was widespread and included beatings
and sodomy which led, in some cases, to suicide. The inquiry confirmed
that the abuse included cadets being beaten, scrubbed naked with yardbrushes,
having their genitals covered in boot polish, and some having their testicles
beaten with spoons. Mr Fraser was
"shocked and amazed and really pleased" to hear Mr Goff's apology
yesterday. The apology was an
acknowledgement of what he and many of his former army colleagues had been
through and they could now move on, he told National Radio. The abusive behaviour
"waxed and waned" at the camp, depending on who was in charge at
the time, Mr Fraser said. At times the abusive
behaviour was allowed to flourish. However, levels of
supervision at the cadet school were questionable at the very least, he said.
"As Justice Morris
rightly pointed out, you're teaching these kids how to kill during the
daytime and then expecting them to discipline themselves out of hours. "It was a recipe
for disaster in many respects." Mr Fraser said many of
those who were abused either did not complain at the time, or were persuaded
by superiors not to pursue a complaint. A "code of
silence" still existed among many of those involved, he said. However, he said he was
aware this week of at least one complaint being filed as a potential civil
case against the Army, and one or two sexual abuse complaints being laid with
police. Justice Morris'
suggestion of setting up a confidential mediation service where former cadets
and the Army could work out a resolution without incurring the cost of civil
litigation was "a very positive" move, Mr Fraser said. |
