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Accusations of Abuse in
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The Evening Post
June 29, 2002
Sex abuse reveales at Wgtn
school
by Kathryn Powley
A
Marist priest who taught music at St Patrick's College Silverstream in the
1980s allegedly sexually abused four students at the school before he was
removed.
A Society of Mary spokesman, Father Tim Duckworth, said today that Father Alan
Woodcock was appointed to St Patrick's in 1982 despite having already been
convicted of a sex offence.
Woodcock was ordained a Marist priest in 1972. In 1979 he received a suspended
sentence after he was convicted of a sex offence involving a man in
Following his conviction, the Marist order sent him to a psychologist in
He took up a position in the music department at St Patrick's in 1982. Father
Duckworth said that in the course of that year, three sixth-form boys alleged
that Woodcock had fondled them. Despite their claims, Woodcock was allowed to
stay teaching until the end of the year.
He is also alleged to have abused another St Pat's student, who was 15 at the
time.
Woodcock was then moved to Palmerston North, although not in a teaching role.
After other complaints, he was shifted around several times and eventually
ended up in
Father Duckworth said the abuse was "inexcusable" and the Order had
since instituted protocols to try to prevent anything similar recurring.
"The way we screen people, the way we train people and the policies and
protocols we have in place to deal with people, if something like this occurs,
are completely different."
He said the Order would now report allegations of abuse to police, if the
victim was a minor. If the victim was now an adult the Order would help furnish
them with any information they needed, if they intended to lay a complaint.
Father Duckworth said the Order had been contacted by police in the early 1990s
following a complaint from a former St Patrick's student. Despite the Order's
full co-operation, police had not laid charges.
Police had not contacted the Order recently. He did not know of any police
moves to reinvestigate the case.
Upper Hutt CIB head Detective Sergeant Murray Porter said he did not know of
any reassessment of Woodcock's file.
The New Zealand Herald reported today that Woodcock was still living somewhere
in
St Patrick's is a State-integrated Catholic day and boarding school for boys
with capacity for 150 boarders. It has a roll of 656.
St Patrick's principal David Leavy said today he did
not know Woodcock. Woodcock had already left the school before he started.
But he had been told of Woodcock about four years ago and was told that the
story could end up in the newspapers at some stage.
The allegations regarding Woodcock have surfaced as the Catholic Church
apologises in Masses across the country today and tomorrow for instances of
abuse.
A freephone number has also been set up for victims
to report abuse. Father Duckworth encouraged anyone with instances of abuse to
ring 0800 764-357, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.