|
New Zealand
Parliament
May 12 2004
Deborah Coddington
Speech to the House
Mr Speaker, what I'm about to say is going to shock this house.
And every member should feel shamed of what has happened here. This
Government and the last government has ignored a dreadful scandal.
In 1987 Mr Speaker, three little girls went to the Glenelg Health Camp in Christchurch. They were
put in the care of the State. Their parents trusted their children in the
care of the State.
A State employee sexually abused these little girls and no government has
ever done anything except sweep this scandal under the carpet
The Department of Health employed a medical officer of health, Dr Dianne
Espie to work at the Health Camp.
Dr Espie without the parent's position, and with no other adult present
repeatedly examined these little girls in a way that can only be described as
sexual abuse. She inserted swabs into their vaginas. She measured their
vaginas with tape measures, not once, not twice, but over and over again. She
kept saying to these little girls
"this is what your fathers do to you isn't it?" One little
girl said that Dr Espie rubbed her breasts and then when the little girl
cried Dr Espie slapped her and said she was having a bad day. This is child
abuse.
But worse Mr Speaker, this doctor convinced the Department of Social Welfare
that these girls were being sexually abused by their fathers. The girls were
not allowed home to their families until their mothers agreed to separate
from their husbands. The police investigated these men and found that there
was not a shred of evidence that these men had sexually abused their
daughters. These families have been destroyed.
One of these girls who I'm in contact with now is a very very damaged young
lady.
She was put into foster care. She was abused in foster care. She lived on the
streets from the age of 11. Eventually she found her way back to their
father.
And these people have fought 17 years for justice. For someone to just stand up and say
"I'm Sorry". For Dr Espie to be held accountable.
And nothing has ever been done by any government despite letters written by
Helen Clark, by Phil Goff. Letters to
Katherine O Regan. Letters to Peter Gresham.
In 1987 Mr Speaker the Cartright inquiry was appalled that vaginal swabs were
taken from stillborn female fetuses without parental consent and this
situation is worse because no government has been appalled by this.
Why didn't anyone care about these families?
I believe if Dr Espie was a male doctor she would have been brought to
justice and she might well be in jail now. She might well be innocent but she
needs to be brought to an inquiry which I have asked this house to instigate.
I ask members of this house to imagine
for one moment if their children had gone off to a Health Camp with
minor health problems and never come home to their families again. If they
had been sexually examined without parental consent.
Fathers - how would they feel being accused of sexually abusing their
daughters.
Mothers forced to break up families so that they could keep their children.
How can the State which has enormous power Mr Speaker - The State has huge
powers - The State has abused it's power in this case and the State can try
and do something to put it right.
The State has been so wrong and I implore the Minister of Justice Mr Speaker.
I implore him to act on my letter and my petition to do something for these
families.
|
