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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
August 16, 2002

Five sue nuns over alleged child abuse
by Yvonne Martin

Five women who allege that they were brutally beaten and traumatised as girls by Catholic nuns at a children's home in Christchurch's Nazareth House are taking a group action.

Complainants allege they were regularly strapped and caned for the smallest misdemeanours, emotionally deprived, and put into solitary confinement. They want the Sisters of Nazareth to acknowledge the alleged abuse occurred and to pay compensation for their childhood ordeals.

The Sisters of Nazareth is the latest Catholic order facing legal action over historical claims of abuse from the 1950s and early 1960s.

Another order, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, has already paid out undisclosed sums of money to 14 women for physical abuse at its St Joseph's orphanage in Halswell.

The St John of God Order is also negotiating with about 48 men alleging sexual abuse during their time at Marylands, a former Christchurch residential school for boys.

In the Nazareth House case, four women from Christchurch and one from Whangarei have hired a lawyer to take a claim against the order -- expected to go to mediation.

Whangarei lawyer Stuart Henderson, who also represented the 14 women in the St Joseph's case, has confirmed he is acting for the five women.

The Sisters of Nazareth said they knew little about the action yesterday. They referred The Press to the Christchurch Bishop John Cunneen's office, but no- one was available for comment.

Some women compensated for ill-treatment at St Joseph's were later sent to the old Nazareth House in Brougham Street, where they claim the abuse continued.

One 62-year-old woman, who wanted to be known only as Helen, was sent to Nazareth House by her staunch Catholic father because her mother was always ill or pregnant.

She remembers being burnt by a nun with a hot stick from the copper, used to boil up linen, because at seven years old, she had difficulty operating the mangle in the laundry.

"They used to put the hot stick against your legs or face. It was unbelievable," said Helen.

"If you wet the bed, they would push your face into the mattress. They had no problems using leather straps and canes and if they hit the wrong person they didn't care, so long as they hit somebody. They played on the fear factor."

Helen remembers escaping several times during her three years at the home.

Another woman, who was one of 48 girls under 12 years moved from St Joseph's to Nazareth House in the 1950s, said she now avoided passing the property, even though the old house has been replaced.

"I call it the house of pain and shame," she said.