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Allegations
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A Kapiti teacher
yesterday cleared of sexually assaulting girls at his school wants to return
to the school but is considering legal action against the police over their
investigation. Michael Neville, 48,
walked free from Palmerston North District Court after a jury found him not
guilty of four counts of indecent assaults on girls under 12 dating from
early 1999. The name of the school
involved is suppressed. Last night Mr Neville
celebrated with supporters at his home but this morning he said he felt
police had not conducted the investigation with any presumption that he was
innocent. He said he and his
legal team hadn't decided on what to do about the police investigation but
legal action was a possibility. "I'm not on a
witch hunt as such but I think there really needs to be some processes
changed so people are treated as innocent people," Mr Neville told
National Radio. He said his first
contact with police had left him with the impression they believed he was
guilty. Further than that, police
believed he was guilty and gave the impression they would go out to find
people to confirm it. Mr Neville said he
would be meeting with the school over the next few days about his returning
there. "That's my dream,
to get back to the school that I was teaching at. "It certainly
would not be the same as it was before but I'm still passionate about
teaching." Mr Neville said it
would be unwise to comment on the four girls who had accused him. He hoped men would
still want to be teachers and said although there were genuine abuse cases,
there needed to be a realistic approach to being able to physically touch
children. His lawyer Bruce Squire
QC said there were several legal avenues for Mr Neville. "There are aspects
of the police investigation that we think were less than satisfactory. "Broadly I think
you are left with the impression that instead of investigating complaints
made, there was more than a suggestion that the police were actually going
about the district looking to engender complaints, which I think is a little
unsatisfactory. "But that's a
matter that might need to be addressed in another quarter." Mr Squire told National
Radio the strain had taken a toll on Mr Neville and even though he had been
found not guilty, there may still be issues with him returning to his school.
Television's One News
reported last night that Levin police would not comment on camera but said
their investigation was professional and thorough. New Zealand Educational
Institute national secretary Lynne Bruce told NZPA the teacher's union
welcomed the verdict and would review the case to consider its implications. "It highlights an
occupational hazard, faced in particular by male teachers." People who worked in
front-line professions with children or adults were particularly vulnerable
to such accusations, she said. Ms Bruce declined to
comment on whether the case had put off men from becoming primary school
teachers. |
