Moral Panic - Child Sexual Abuse
	Focus on People Dianne Espie and the Glenelg Health Camp
	The Press June 17 2004 Glenelg cover-up alleged By Anna Claridge Child, Youth and Family (CYF) Minister Ruth Dyson has been accused of "being economical with the truth" to protect the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister over sex abuse allegations at the Glenelg Health Camp in the late 1980s. Yesterday, National MP Katherine Rich accused Dyson of "covering up" the pair's involvement in the handling of the first complaints of sexual abuse from the Christchurch camp. Rich believes the Government has lied about the dates allegations were first received and tried to blame the National Government for the lack of an inquiry. But last night Dyson denied covering up anything, saying it was in "no-one's best interests" to hide information on such a serious allegation. "I've got nothing to hide," Dyson said. "CYF is still looking for information and if they find correspondence with Michael Cullen's name on it, I'll put it in the public arena." A spokeswoman for Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen said he had no recollection of receiving advice on the allegations. Last month, ACT MP Deborah Coddington accused former Christchurch doctor Dianne Espie of committing and misdiagnosing sexual abuse at the Glenelg camp. Espie has since rejected the allegations as totally untrue and very distressing. Rich told Parliament yesterday that "invasive internal examinations" by the health camp doctor occurred as early as 1983, and by 1989 the then Social Welfare Minister, Cullen, had been alerted. However, neither Cullen nor the then Health Minister Helen Clark ordered an inquiry into the complaints. Now, Rich says Dyson is covering up information relating to the first complaints because it would reflect poorly on Cullen and Clark. Dyson has repeatedly told Parliament that Government records show the first allegations surfaced in 1993 – when National was in government – and it was up to the then Associate Health Minister Katherine O'Regan to order an inquiry. The Press understands that Rich intends to table a letter in Parliament today which will suggest that Cullen wrote to his officials about the alleged abuse as early as 1989. Rich told Parliament yesterday that Dyson's statements were "carefully worded answers" which were "an attempt to hide the real situation. The Minister has tried to be cunning when she should have told the real story. She might argue that her answers are technically correct but she is being economical with the truth. I can only conclude that she is covering up for her senior colleagues." Rich said Dyson knew "full well" that the first complaint came not in 1993 to a National Party minister but to Cullen. "No amount of mealy-mouthed duplicity is going to get the Minister off the hook." Dyson said last night Glenelg files were still being searched and if correspondence was found that showed allegations made before 1993, she would make them public. "It doesn't matter to me if it was Katherine O'Regan or Michael Cullen or Helen Clark who received those allegations first. What we should be considering is whether those families were treated correctly and have they got a case to be considered."