Police acknowledge the sentence handed down to Douglas Russell Buchanan today in the Wellington District Court for historic sexual offences.

The 72-year-old Lower Hutt man has been sentenced to two years and nine
months imprisonment for serious sexual abuse charges against two victims,
between 1977 and 1983.

Detective Constable Carena Oosterbaan acknowledges the bravery of the victims
of abuse in coming forward.

“We acknowledge the trauma these incidents would have had on not only the
people who have been harmed, but also their family.

“While it is pleasing to now have a resolution in Court, we know that
events like these never truly leave them,” says Detective Constable
Oosterbaan.

“Buchanan was a respected member of the Hutt Valley community in positions
of implied trust at the time the offending took place.

“There has been a tremendous amount of societal change in recent decades in
terms of recognising red flags and contacting the appropriate support
agencies for advice.

“We want to reaffirm to young people that in 2023 there are a lot of adults
within their wider daily lives who will be there to support them.

“You can trust that Police will take all such reports seriously, offer
victims the required support, and work to hold offenders to account.”

Detective Constable Oosterbaan is aware that there may be other victims of
abuse who who haven’t yet come forward to make a report.

“We note that Mr Buchanan was a high school teacher and volunteer in
community groups including the theatre, for many years. There may be people
out there who read of this sentencing and wish to contact Police to report
historic sexual offending involving Mr Buchanan and we encourage them to do
so.”

“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to contact
Police or the support services working in this area, who can help them make a
report and give them the support they need to get them on the road to
recovery."

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