Neil Harding, The Dilworth Class Action Group

Representing over 150 sexual abuse survivors, the Dilworth Class Action group welcomes the Independent Inquiry report released today.

This is a very thorough and honest report that not only details the extent of the sexual abuse at Dilworth, it also describes that the Dilworth Trust Board knew that boys in its care were being sexually abused and instead of stopping it from happening, they took steps to cover it up - allowing it to continue from the 1950’s through to 2006.

The report speaks for itself, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all survivors, their families, and others who have bravely come forward to share their experiences, ensuring that the truth of what was allowed to occur at Dilworth is now fully exposed.

In the words of the Inquiry:

“Regrettably, this report is a catalogue of what went wrong, the lifetime of damage it caused to abused students, how that damage might be fixed, and an expression of hope that the terrible events of the past will never be repeated.”

Importantly the Inquiry makes 19 recommendations, which we urge the Trust Board to fully embrace.

Of particular note is the Inquiry’s recognition that the current Trust Board lacks the expertise and experience required to govern a school of boys, as the trust board members only have commercial, financial and asset management skills.

In addition, the Dilworth Trust Board needs to collaborate with the survivors to identify the steps needed to supplement the current redress programme and work to improve its relationship with all former students. This requires the Dilworth Trust Board to do more than pay lip service to the survivors, it means meaningfully engaging and working with them, their families and whānau, to ensure the redress programme is best-practice and survivor-focused.

Over the past two years, in addition to calling for a full Inquiry, we have repeatedly asked Dilworth to collaborate with survivors. The Inquiry aptly states: “The voices of former students and their families and whānau who have been injured by abuse are essential for a successful outcome.”

This Inquiry is about accountability. At the very least, Mr Snodgrass and his fellow trustees should now take responsibility and on behalf of every Dilworth trust board member since the 1950’s make a sincere and public apology to the survivors for the Board’s significant failures and the immeasurable harm each and every boy suffered because of their actions.

We sincerely hope this public report goes some way to helping the survivors know that their voices are no longer silenced by those who govern Dilworth.

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