www.peterellis.co.nz : seeking justice for Peter Ellis : mail to: [email protected]

Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

Index: Home Page Peter Ellis
Index: Accusations in Institutions

Dominion Post
January 16, 2004

Difficult kids were helped, says ex-head
by Fran Tyler


Thousands of New Zealand children have passed through welfare homes, developed to provide a nurturing environment and education for troubled children.

The social worker manual of the 1960s describes one home as: "to provide for the social re-education of delinquent boys from about 14 to 17 years, who are unsuitable for foster home placement".

But over the years various reports, and a number of people sent to homes, have highlighted abuse.

A Human Rights Commission inquiry into the treatment of children in social welfare homes was held in 1980. The commission's report, published in 1982, outlined brutal punishment of welfare home children. The commission made a series of recommendations.

The government's response was to ask an archbishop to look into the matter. His findings and recommendations closely paralleled the commission's and many were acted on by the government.

One of those who spoke of the abuse he suffered was Canadian businessman John Sinclair. In 1993 he published a book All God's Children, which outlines physical and sexual abuse he and other boys suffered at Hokio Beach Boys' Home in the early 1960s.

However, some remain confident in the success of the homes. Former Hokio Beach Boys' Home principal Keith North, now retired, said the home helped many boys.

Mr North, who spent his entire career in social work, said that when he started at the home in 1972 it was not greatly controlled, but by the time he retired, in 1984, it had turned around.

"When I got out to Hokio I reduced the controls out there so the kids had a great deal more freedom and the schooling improved dramatically. It was amazing the progress a lot of the kids made once we changed the regime.

"It was a pretty relaxed regime. We let the kids settle in and find their feet. We didn't put any pressure on them."

Bullying, however, was something that "you always get in institutions". "But, of course, you can control that, which we did. There was no corporal punishment – he (the bully) would just lose his privileges and I used to bring them in and give them a good talking to."

He also admitted that there had been instances of sexual abuse. "It happened in all institutions, really, and occasionally staff got involved."

Soon after he arrived at Hokio, two staff members were referred to police for sexually abusing the boys. Both men were convicted by the courts and lost their jobs, he said. Neither was jailed.

"We didn't know too much about (boys sexually abusing other boys). I suspected there was sexual activity among the kids, but it wasn't obvious. Had we been aware of it and who was involved, certainly we would have done something about it."

Hokio had about 60 boys at any one time, he said. "Most of them were delinquents. They were difficult kids."

Some had done as little as misbehave at school and commit some petty

offences. "But . . . it was certainly in their best interest. Once the kids settled down and started to achieve they really enjoyed their stay there. It's amazing how well a lot of those kids did in that environment," he said.

He disagreed that many would have done better if left with their parents.

"A lot of them came from pretty disturbed families. A lot of them were running pretty wild.

"I spent most of my life as a social worker and I feel we did help kids – not all kids, of course: some remained difficult and probably would be to this day and have ended up in prison. There were some that were never going to change. You couldn't do much for them."

Mr North said he still quite often met Hokio boys and found some of them had gone on to good careers.

"Of course some have gone on to finish up in prison. You can't achieve miracles with everybody."

Writer Alan Duff, who spent time in Hamilton Boys' Home in 1964, said he found the experience tough and disciplined, "but it wasn't horrendous".

The experience "very much" helped him in the long run.