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New Zealand
Parliament
May 20 2004
Questions
Glenelg Children's Health Camp - Children’s Medical Examinations
8.
Katherine Rich (National) to the Associate Minister for Social Development
and Employment (CYF):
When did the former Department of Social Welfare and its Minister first
become aware of allegations regarding the medical examination of children
without parental consent at Glenelg Children’s Health Camp?
Hon
Ruth Dyson (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)):
According to the available files, the then Minister of Social Welfare, Jenny
Shipley, first became aware in September 1993 of allegations regarding the
medical examination of children without parental consent at Glenelg
Children’s Health Camp. In a letter dated 27 September 1993, the then
Associate Minister of Health, Katherine O’Regan, advised Mrs Shipley that the
Parents Against INjustice Society (NZ) had asked her to conduct a ministerial
inquiry into the camp, but stated she believed there were insufficient
grounds to initiate such an inquiry at that time.
Katherine
Rich:
Did the former Department of Social Welfare and its Minister consider any
official or unofficial recommendations that the ethics of carrying out
internal examinations of children without parental consent should be
investigated; and if so, when, and what steps did the Minister at the time
take to follow up those recommendations?
Hon
Ruth Dyson:
Given the age of both the original allegations and the first point of
notification to the Ministers, and despite extensive searching of the
available records, neither of those incidences has been produced. If the
member has any issues and can provide the information that I require to
follow them up, I would be very happy to do so.
Deborah
Coddington:
If the Minister was the parent of a 7, 8, or 12-year-old girl who had been
repeatedly examined in an inappropriate way while in the care of the State
and then separated from her father by the State, would she not want an
inquiry into that; if not, why not, and if yes, why will she not order an
inquiry?
Mr
Speaker:
The Minister can be asked about the inquiry.
Hon
Ruth Dyson:
My understanding is that none of the young people involved were actually in
the care of the State at the time of the alleged abuse. Their going into the
care of the State came as a result of the allegations of sexual abuse by
their fathers, which was not confirmed after a police investigation. If I
were a member of one of the families, or if I were any of the individual
people involved, I would have taken a case to the Medical Council, as was
recommended in 1993, and I am really unsure as to why that was never
proceeded with.
Katherine
Rich:
When, if at all, did the former Department of Social Welfare and its Minister
consider any official, or unofficial, recommendations that allegations that
staff at Glenelg Health Camp presumed every child had been sexually abused
should be investigated; if so, what steps did the Minister at the time take
to examine those issues?
Hon
Ruth Dyson:
The only record of correspondence in relation to the then Minister of Social
Welfare that has been made available to me is the letter from Katherine
O’Regan that I referred to in answer to the primary question, and then a
subsequent letter, again from Katherine O’Regan, to the then new Minister of
Social Welfare, the Hon Peter Gresham, on 16 December 1993.
Katherine
Rich:
Check the file.
Hon
Ruth Dyson:
I have checked the file. Last week Mrs Rich made similar allegations about information
that had not been provided to me in answer to a letter. I have asked her to
provide it, and I am still waiting for it.
Deborah
Coddington:
Is the real reason why the Labour Government will not order an inquiry into
Glenelg Children’s Health Camp and the behaviour of a doctor there who
examined children that the inquiry would criticise the actions, or inactions,
of previous Ministers of Health, including the Rt Hon Helen Clark?
Hon
Ruth Dyson:
No.
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