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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Southland Times
March 29, 2003

Sex abuse victims want more money from church
by Stu Oldham

The lawyer representing southerners abused as boys at a Christchurch Catholic residential school says his clients will not accept their share of compensation payments totalling $4 million.

Christchurch-based Grant Cameron, of Grant Cameron and Associates, said his clients would tell the Order of St John its compensation offer was "insultingly low" and they would ask next week for a mediated meeting to seek a better deal.

"We've told our clients the amounts offered are at the low end and they've responded that we should take this back to the Order and seek some mediated compromise. They are angry and whatever action we take from now on cannot minimise their suffering." The Order, which ran the Marylands school for boys with intellectual and learning disabilities, has offered compensation to 56 of 75 men who claimed they were sexually abused by 14 religious brothers. Payouts range from about $30,000 to $100,000.

Twenty-three men have accepted the money but the 16 Mr Cameron represents have not.

The clients include six from Southland.

Mr Cameron said they were upset the Order had offered significantly less than it had offered complainants in Australia and the United States.

It's understood the offers were about half those made to Australians.

"It would be fair to say our clients have reacted with a degree of incredulity to the offers and are even more resolved to find a more satisfactory alternative," Mr Cameron said.

The Order had assessed the level of compensation itself and had resiled from a disputes resolution procedure it suggested before the offers were made.

Mr Cameron's clients were keen to meet the Order in mediation to ask for more money and to find out why it was being offered less.

"It's just a bloody sad situation made worse by the way it has been handled. These men do not deserve to suffer any longer," Mr Cameron said.

Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust manager Ken Clearwater, who is supporting 37 of the men, said that suffering was acutely felt. Many of the complainants had come to his attention via alcohol and drug agencies, mental institutions and prisons. The compensation, whatever it was, would not heal all the wounds, he said.