Gloriavale teacher can be identified

A Gloriavale teacher who avoided jail time after indecently touching and kissing his ‘‘favourite'' pupil can finally be named.

Just Standfast, who is 68 and has physical disabilities, indecently assaulted the 9-yearold girl, repeatedly kissed her and exposed himself on a bed during a playtime break.

He admitted a charge of sexual conduct with a child and was sentenced in March to six months of community detention and two years of intensive supervision.

However, his interim name suppression continued until yesterday. Standfast is no longer teaching. He is serving his sentence while living and working on a Gloriavale-owned farm away from the main community.

At sentencing, Judge Raoul Neave said prison would be difficult for Standfast because of his age and ‘‘physical limitations''.

Standfast lost one of his legs above the knee and an elbow joint in one arm after a car crash.

The judge described the offending as ‘‘a significant degree

Just Standfast is serving his sentence while living and working on a Gloriavale-owned farm away from the main community.

of abuse of trust, as both the victim's school teacher and a trusted family friend and a person of obviously respect in your community''. ‘‘The victim at the time was aged 9 and was a pupil in the school at which you taught and, during 2012, you were her classroom teacher.

‘‘It seems she had been something of a favourite,'' the judge said. On one occasion between

August 31 and September 30, 2012, during a playtime break, Standfast told the class he was going to have a sleep. ‘‘You told the victim to come and wake you up before the class restarted.''

When the girl approached, Standfast told her he wanted a cuddle and helped her on to the bed. ‘‘She was on top of you. You hugged her, placed your hand on her bottom and kissed her on the face and the mouth. She was scared and wanted to get away from you and finally managed to prise herself off, at which point she noticed your penis had become exposed,'' Judge Neave said. The girl left and told her mother what had happened.

The next day Standfast apologised to the girl's father and confessed to Gloriavale leaders.

Standfast wrote to the court to take complete responsibility.

He said the act was premeditated.

Judge Neave said there was no need to put the man on the child sex offenders' register because there was ‘‘no real risk to the community'' given the man's age and that the offending happened seven years ago.

Judge Neave gave him a warning under the three strikes law.

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