Brothers allege sexual abuse at drama school
Twins who tried to flee nightmare were always caught and returned, writes Harrison Christian.
Authorities are investigating a historic complaint about sexual abuse at a drama school run by a respected actor.
Aucklander Jacob Mayhew, 24, alleges he was sexually abused a decade ago during his time at Te Ra¯kau Hua O Te Wao Tapu in Wellington, under the leadership of theatre and television star Jim Moriarty.
For about seven years starting in 2004, Te Ra¯ kau was contracted by Child, Youth and Family to provide 24/7 care for boys aged between 12 and 17.
Mayhew was 14 when he and his twin brother were removed from their mother’s care in Levin and sent south to Te Ra¯kau. Mayhew said he was raped and repeatedly sexually abused by another resident during his stay at Te Ra¯ kau in 2008.
Last year, Oranga Tamariki looked into the allegations and did not uphold Mayhew’s complaint – but this month it agreed to re-open the investigation.
‘‘In looking again at the case we will certainly want to consider all relevant information,’’ a spokesperson said. ‘‘When resolving complaints and historic claims, Oranga Tamariki always looks to give primary importance to the child or young person at the centre of the complaint and takes very seriously any harm that was caused.’’
Mayhew’s brother, who didn’t want to be named, also claimed he was sexually abused by the same resident, a 15-year-old boy, during their stay.
Moriarty had converted his garage into three different dorm rooms, with six, four and two beds respectively, Mayhew said.
At night, Moriarty’s garage was padlocked shut, ‘‘so when the sexual offending was happening we were locked in the same room’’, he said.
‘‘The offending only happened when it was me and the other person in the room alone, which happened a lot.’’
Moriarty held daily meetings where staff and residents sat in a circle. Mayhew claimed he disclosed the sexual abuse in one of these meetings at which Moriarty, his social worker and the perpetrator were present, but feels his concerns were shrugged off.
Mayhew’s brother was also present at the meeting, and said he remembered Jacob raising the issue.
‘‘He said he was being touched inappropriately. Their answer was that we shouldn’t sit next to the perpetrator any more,’’ Mayhew’s brother said.
Last year, Mayhew complained that in addition to being sexually abused by the resident he was also raped. He told the Sunday Star-Times that he was previously too ashamed to admit that.
When contacted by the Sunday Star-Times, Moriarty recalled the twins but said he had no knowledge of the alleged sexual abuse.
‘‘I don’t remember him laying a complaint of sexual abuse by another client, or another young person.
‘‘It’s unfortunate, but you know it’s his perspective, his experience. Of course in terms of the veracity thereof, that’s why you have inquiries and investigations,’’ Moriarty said.
However, when asked if he recalled Mayhew’s alleged 15-year-old abuser, Moriarty refused to confirm that such a person was staying there at the time. He cited the privacy of their clients.
‘‘I don’t remember anyone saying in a night shift, ‘I caught these kids interfering with each other’; but we took in some pretty challenging young people who had been subject to a whole lot of stuff you wouldn’t want to wish on anybody as part of their life journey.’’
Moriarty said they would have acted ‘‘in a manner to bring some appropriate response to it’’, had they known about the abuse.
The twins were forced to remain at Te Ra¯kau for three more months, and the offender continued to abuse him, Mayhew said. The brothers ran away numerous times, hitchhiking back to their mum’s house or hiding at a friend’s. Always, police or social workers would pick them up and take them back.
‘‘It affects my relationships now; I really suffer from it. I think it’s just the fact of not being heard and not feeling safe for such a long time. It’s caused major issues,’’ he said.
Two years later, the twins made a police complaint; a summary of facts, released under the Privacy Act, alleges they were indecently assaulted by the resident who admitted one of the incidents to officers.
Mayhew said police phoned his mother at the conclusion of their investigation in 2010 to say the charges had been dropped because of the age of the offender. Police declined to comment.
In December 2010, the trust was investigated over a number of allegations made by young people under its care. These complaints were investigated by the police as well.
According to court documents, in March 2011 it was reported to Te Ra¯kau that, following an investigation, there were a number of serious concerns about operations within the trust.
All young people were removed from Te Ra¯ kau’s care in June 2011, after it deemed the trust was unable to take the necessary steps to keep the programme safe.
Moriarty maintains that the trust voluntarily relinquished its services.
‘‘It was a mutual agreement. We were ready to move on and do different things,’’ he said.
Oranga Tamariki acknowledged in its 2017 response to Mayhew’s complaint that the only abuse the agency was aware of was that another youth had ‘‘touched your bottom, tried to kiss you and was ‘in your space’.’’
In response to questions, Oranga Tamariki said it was reopening an investigation.
Mayhew, who has made a submission to the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care, is seeking an apology and compensation from Oranga Tamariki over the abuse.
‘‘We took in some pretty challenging young people who had been subject to a whole lot of stuff you wouldn’t want to wish on anybody as part of their life journey.’’ Jim Moriarty