MSA

Unfortunate statement from the New Zealand arm of Survivors Abused by Priests (SNAP) criticises attempt by Male Survivors Otago to expand male survivors access to support services.

The leadership of SNAP Aotearoa, quoted in the article, has maligned a recent agreement with the Bishop of Dunedin for Male Survivors Otago to provide support for male survivors who are referred by the Church. This commercial-in confidence collaborative arrangement, designed to help male survivors, has been referenced by SNAP as part of an ongoing ‘cover-up’ process that enables the church to avoid public scrutiny of its abuse activities. This ludicrous claim simply exposes the incompetent leadership of SNAP Aotearoa and should be a cause for concern for survivors who rely on this organisation for support.

The rate of violent victimization against children with disabilities is thought to be lower than the rate for children without disabilities but several studies shows otherwise.

This paper is available at Science Direct

December 2019

Warning: This story discusses issues related to rape and sexual violence.

Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin says she is “horrified” that a child sex offender attended meetings of the inquiry into state abuse of children but that there isn’t much she can do about it.

Newsroom reported on Tuesday that the Royal Commission into state abuse of children allowed a convicted child sex offender into three meetings with survivors.

The man is the partner of one of advisory group members and was attending as a support person. The commission was told that the man needed to notify police ahead of any travel.

Published in Stuff

Martin, who has responsibility for inquiries as Minister for Internal Affairs, did not express confidence in the inquiry and said she had “severe concerns about their decision-making abilities.”

But as the inquiry took the form of a Royal Commission, its independence meant she had little power to change things, Martin said.

“Survivors were very clear – they wanted an independent Royal Commission of Inquiry. That means I have very little powers over the Royal Commission of Inquiry.”

“I have no powers over operational matters. But I am asking DIA to let me know what powers I have when I am concerned around decision-making made by commissioners.”

Martin declined to comment on whether she believed Survivor Advisory Group sponsoring commissioner Paul Gibson needed to step down.

“We’re trying to maintain confidence in what is a very important commission of inquiry,” Martin said.

She said the first she had heard of it was reading the news on Tuesday morning and it had “horrified” her.

“I’m pretty horrified. I think this is a really shocking situation for such an important inquiry,” Martin said.

“These people have fought for so long with the trauma they have carried from their childhood – to be believed in many cases – a situation like this is just not constructive or helpful or healing for them.”

National leader Simon Bridges said Martin needed to explain how this had happened.

“The Royal Commission found out in May that this person had a criminal conviction but it was August before it got further details about what the conviction was for, it was during that time that he attended the meetings,” Bridges said.

“As a father and a former Crown Prosecutor, I find it unconscionable that a paedophile was allowed anywhere near this Royal Commission.”

Bridges said he did hope the inquiry could carry on.

Martin said it was to be expected that she found out about the matter in the news media rather than through a briefing from the inquiry itself, as a Royal Commission of Inquiry was very independent.

The $78m state abuse inquiry has run into other issues, including the resignation of its first chair Sir Anand Satyanand.

By Henry Cooke
Published in Stuff
24 September 2019

The commissioner embroiled in the latest scandal at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care says he won’t be stepping down.

Paul Gibson is responsible for the group of sexual abuse survivors who advise the Royal Commission as it investigates historical abuse of children in state and church care.

Yesterday it was revealed that a partner of one of the advisory group members is a convicted child sex offender and has attended gatherings alongside members of the group.

Published in Radio New Zealand

The minister responsible for the Royal Commission, Tracey Martin, has been taking legal advice and will meet commissioners today.

Tracey Martin said if she needed to take steps to ensure the success of the Royal Commission of Inquiry she would do so.

She was looking for a “logical reason” rather than a “lack of competence” for the three month time difference between being aware the man had convictions and finding out what they were.

“We’ve got a circumstance here that has alarmed the public, has alarmed survivors – and they’re the most important people – and quite frankly it has alarmed members of Parliament,” Ms Martin told Morning Report.

“While we appreciate that many survivors had lives that then, because of the trauma of their childhood meant that they gained criminal convictions later on in life, and we don’t want to penalise them for that pathway by somehow stopping them being involved in the Royal Commission, there are certain crimes that are trigger crimes that strongly affect survivors.

“So I think with hindsight there are certain crimes that should have been screened for with anybody that was coming anywhere near the survivors inside the Royal Commission of Inquiry.”

The final decision on whether Mr Gibson may have to resign rests with the Governor-General, but Ms Martin said she wanted the Royal Commission to succeed and keep the trust of survivors.

“If that means that I need to take steps to ensure that if there is a lack of competence that something is done to ensure that that trust remains then I will take those steps.”

If other members of panel expressed a lack of confidence a commissioner, it would be up to the Commission chairman to step in, she said.

In May, the inquiry’s 20-member Survivor Advisory Group was set up to represent victims of abuse.

The commission knew at the time the partner of one of those members had previous convictions. The man often drove her to meetings and sometimes stayed to support her.

Mr Gibson said it wasn’t until late last month that the man revealed in a meeting between the group’s manager, the member and her partner what he had been convicted of.

“At the meeting with this Survivor Advisory Group member … the due diligence process looked at asking questions of her partner who was in attendance.

“Through that process he disclosed the nature of his convictions and he said ‘this is the first time anyone from the commission has asked about them’ and he was, to some extent, relieved to share them.”

Other members of the advisory group found out through the media.

Group member Kath Coster was horrified when she heard the news.

“Not the sort of thing I would have expected, being a state care survivor and being subjected to paedophiles through state care, to be involved on an advisory panel to help make changes, to find out that we’ve had a paedophile amongst us.

“To think that I put myself in a motel room with him, now knowing he’s a paedophile, it’s quite sickening.”

Another member, Tyrone Marks, wants resignations.

“I’m talking senior management, chief executive level … I think Paul Gibson should go as well.”

Jane Stevens, who is also part of the group, backs that call.

“If our leadership can’t get their act together, then they seriously need to look at whether we need a change of leadership.”

Mr Gibson said he had no plans to step down from his role.

“I’m confident in the processes going forward. Yes, mistakes have been made and I acknowledge that.”

Lawyer Sonja Cooper represents 1400 abuse complainants and said it needs to be made clear that victims who have convictions are not being excluded from appearing before the Royal Commission itself.

“We need to be very clear there is a distinction between the survivor panel meetings and the rights of people who are registering with the commission to tell their stories.

“What I’d be concerned about is the damage being done to the Royal Commission at this stage disenfranchises a very necessary voice in the Royal Commission.”

National Party leader Simon Bridges told Morning Report the minister should have exercised more oversight earlier.

“This could have been prevented or stopped sooner had we had the basic vetting you’d expect,” he said.

“Overall, can we have confidence in the commission? I think it’s badly broken at the moment.”

He said Mr Gibson’s resignation may be required depending on what he did and what his processes around vetting were.

The Survivors’ Advisory Group had been scheduled to meet today, but Mr Gibson said that was no longer happening.

All meetings have been put on hold until background checks on group members are completed, he said.

By Katie Scotcher
Published in Radio New Zealand
25 September 2019

Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin has refused to express confidence in the leadership of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, after it was revealed a convicted child sex offender was involved.

Speaking in the House today, in response to National leader Simon Bridge’s questions, she said she was dismayed after finding out a convicted paedophile was allowed to be involved in meetings.

Ms Martin said the inquiry was independent of government and she had no role in operational matters.

“The appointment of the survivor panel and the attendance at its meetings are very much operational matters. As minister, the issue of confidence, as set out in law, relates only to the conduct of the commissioners. I would say that today, that confidence has been shaken”.

Ms Martin told media the inquiry was the most complicated Royal Commission in New Zealand’s history.

“The only person that can remove a commissioner from the Royal Commission of Inquiry is the governor general. And it’s a very high threshold for that to be met, so I’ve got a copy of what is the law and I now need to know what, in any, my role is in that, and we need to see where this is going to go.”

The convicted offender attended gatherings alongside people who are survivors of abuse.

Survivor Advisory Group sponsoring commissioner Paul Gibson said the commission was aware of the convictions in May, but the nature of those was only disclosed to a commission employee on 22 August and the commission “immediately took action”.

“At no point did the person in question participate in an official Survivor Advisory Group meeting,”

The man was at gatherings around the meetings because he was with his partner, Mr Gibson said.

Advisory group member Jane Stevens told Morning Report she was staggered the group was not informed and was feeling physically sick at the revelation.

“That is probably one of the worst possible scenarios for people who’ve been through abuse. I’m horrified,” she said.

“I don’t believe it’s good enough for it to be treated as a learning, because I do feel re-victimised.”

Since its establishment, the Royal Commission has been heavily criticised for how it is operating. That includes appointing a gang member into a key role, using survivors for trial or pilot interviews, claims chair Sir Anand Satyanand fell asleep while a survivor told their story and accusations commissioners shut down questions on potential conflicts of interest.

Sir Anand announced last month he was stepping down from the job.

Published in Radio New Zealand
24 September 2019