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The
Dominion
July 15, 2000
page 25
Guilty till proved innocent of sexual abuse
A man who served 14 months in jail after being
wrongfully convicted of sexually abusing his children, says he survived by
convincing himself that "the truth would come out".
The man -- and a son -- speak on TV3's 20/20 programme tomorrow about the
allegations and their eventual retractions.
"I just made it all up," the son tells reporter Karen Pickersgill.
The man, who had been sentenced to six years' jail, remained in prison while
the real offender was free and still abusing his sons.
"I knew the truth would come out sooner of later, that's what kept
me going," he says.
His release came after one of the sons revealed the offender had not been his
father. Three years on, Justice Minister Phil Goff has said the man will
receive compensation -- believed to be more than $100,000 -- for wrongful
imprisonment, the first such payment since that made to Arthur Thomas.
Mr Goff has also suggested that David Dougherty, who served 3.5 years for a
rape he did not commit, could also get a payout.
The Government is drawing up the criteria for a compensation scheme for the
wrongfully convicted. Recipients would have to waive any further legal action
against the government.
20/20 explores how, in this later case, the system could have got things
"so terribly wrong".
The man's lawyer, Rob Harrison, says compensation would be an acknowledgment
by society that "we got it wrong and are sorry".
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