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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
June 6, 2002

Anglicans seek abuse victims
NZPA

An Anglican church trust that owned a foster home where three children suffered sexual abuse has attempted to track down other children who might also have been abused.

The Anglican Trust For Women and Children paid $75,000 compensation to a woman who was sexually abused by Ramon Doughty, who ran Blackwood House in Herne Bay 30 years ago.

Last month Doughty, now a 72-year-old retired builder from Matamata, admitted 20 charges of sexual abuse against three girls between 1967 and 1974.

He will be sentenced next week in the High Court in Hamilton.

Chairwoman Dianne Kenderdine said there were other girls living at Blackwood House during Doughty's tenure who could also have been abused.

The trust had made inquiries, independent of the police investigation, to contact former residents.

But tracing such people had so far proved unsuccessful because of the 30-year time lag, name changes due to marriage, and frequent changes of address.

"By the sheer nature of some of the families we worked with they were not people who were perhaps in their own accommodation, so consequently their addresses changed over time."

The woman who has been paid compensation contacted the trust last March.

Ms Kenderdine said the woman was "immediately referred to the police to have her sexual abuse investigated by appropriate authorities".

"This investigation led to a guilty plea by Ramon Doughty and a subsequent private settlement by the ATWC with the woman concerned."

She said the trust had decided to pay compensation regardless of the outcome of the prosecution against Doughty.

"We were dealing with the needs of the person who came to us.

"She needed to get her life back on track and the most important thing for us was that she is able to go forward and have a life without a lot of baggage."

Ms Kenderdine declined to disclose the amount of compensation but a man who once lived at Blackwood said he had been told the amount was $75,000.

Three former victims said on television last night they were struggling to recover from Doughty's abuse.

One said that Doughty laid her on the floor on her 10th birthday in 1968 and tried to rape her. He failed, so sodomised her instead.

"It was a pain I'll never forget."

Another said of his sentencing: "I think they should throw away the key."

And the third said she had since struggled to form relationships with men.

All three women suspected the Anglican Trust had known of the abuse. Auckland Bishop Rt Rev John Paterson said he was mistaken when he told a newspaper that the church had not been informed of the case.

Yesterday he admitted he was told by Ms Kenderdine of the sexual abuse claims in the middle of last year.

Because the allegations did not involve clergy, he did not feel it was necessary for the church to take any further action or to contribute any money towards compensation.