“Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another”
– Henry Nouwen
A former Christ’s College student sexually assaulted and abused by other students in the 1970s says it was “systematic deliberate abuse” designed to shame him. Jim Goodwin attended the Christchurch school as a boarder from 1970 to 1974 and told…
A man has presented a harrowing testimony of being terrified as a boy for every day of school through two years, at the Abuse in Care inquiry. Known only as John, the 52 year said he was sexually abused 40…
Evidence has revealed that the Marist Brothers knew one of their members was offending against children over decades, but didn’t prevent him from being around children. One of his victims, who asked to be referred to only as James, described…
Witnesses at the Abuse in Care Royal Commission have recounted gruelling memories of being abused while in the care of churches. During the week and next week, the Commission is hearing from 25 survivors. The witnesses have agreed to go…
A man who suffered horrific sexual abuse at two Dunedin schools says an independent body should be established to investigate church abuse cases. The man, named only as Marc, presented his evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse…
A man abused while at a Catholic boarding school in the early 1950s says he is not convinced the church’s approach to dealing with abuse has changed at all. The 81-year old Mr F did not tell anyone of the…
A former Catholic boarding school student who was abused by a priest says the Catholic Church repeatedly tried to minimise his abuse and deny that it was criminal offending. The former student, now aged 81, was sexually abused by Father…
A former Catholic boarding school student who was abused by senior staff says one of them was quietly moved to another school in the South Island without being punished. Patrick Cleary died in July, aged 82, before he could give…
Survivors of abuse at the hands of Catholic clergymen have spoken of their shame, trauma and the struggle to get redress from New Zealand church leaders. The first of 25 witnesses told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in…
A man who was sexually abused as a boy at St Patrick’s College, Silverstream only ever wanted the photographs of his abusers removed from the school’s hall, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has heard. Tina Cleary’s…
A man who was in both faith-based and state care wants the public to wake up to historical abuse and be concerned that it could still be happening. Darryl Smith, 57, first went into care at the age of seven…
A group representing survivors of abuse while in faith-based care believes victims could die before there is any satisfactory resolution to their claims against churches. The Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based institutions wants an independent authority set up…
