$60k compo in state care case
Oranga Tamariki has paid $60,000 in compensation to two men who complained of historic sexual abuse at a drama school run by a well-known New Zealand actor.
Jacob Mayhew told Stuff he was raped and sexually abused repeatedly by another resident a decade ago during his time at Te Rakau in Wellington, run by theatre and television star Jim Moriarty at the time.
Mayhew’s brother, who didn’t want to be named, also said he was sexually abused by the same resident, a 15-year-old boy, during their stay.
On Friday it was revealed Oranga Tamariki had apologised to the brothers and paid them each $28,000, a first for the agency. The brothers expect two further payments of $3000 each.
Mayhew, a 25-year-old Aucklander, said the compensation had given him a sense of closure after years of persistence with his complaint.
‘‘Once they finally listen to you and believe you, it’s a huge relief,’’ he said. ‘‘You can’t take back what’s happened. It doesn’t fix what’s happened, but it does make you feel like they’ve listened, so it makes a huge difference.’’
Mayhew said he was now looking forward to starting a new job and moving on with his life. He also hoped to help other people who had similar experiences.
For about seven years starting in 2004, Te Ra kau was contracted by Child, Youth and Family (CYF) to provide 24/7 care for boys aged between 12 and 17.
But CYF removed all young people from Te Rakau’s care in June 2011, after a report identified serious risks at the drama trust, which included allegations of abuse and violence between staff and the young people in their care.
Police also carried out three separate sexual assault investigations at the trust between 2005 and 2011.
Mayhew was 14 when he and his brother were taken into custody, removed from their mother’s care in Levin and sent south to Te Rakau. The pair described conditions that included being padlocked in the facility, a converted garage on Moriarty’s Island Bay property, with their abuser.
Mayhew claimed he disclosed the sexual abuse in a meeting at which Moriarty, his social worker and the perpetrator were present, and his concerns were shrugged off. Moriarty denies any knowledge of the alleged sexual abuse.
Oranga Tamariki investigated Mayhew’s allegations in 2017 and did not uphold his complaint, but in response to queries late last year, it reopened the investigation. Moriarty has maintained that CYF didn’t shut the trust down and instead it voluntarily relinquished its services.
In response to questions in February, the actor said in a statement that Stuff’s reporting on Mayhew’s complaint was ‘‘false and defamatory’’, and he planned to seek legal advice.
‘‘Furthermore your continued attempts to contact me is harassment and I wish you to desist forthwith,’’ Moriarty said.
Mayhew has also made a submission to the country’s ongoing Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care.
Oranga Tamariki’s general manager of public, ministerial and executive services, Steve Groom, said in a statement he wouldn’t be commenting on details of the payment.
The agency would not say whether the payout was in relation to CYF system failures or an acknowledgement of abuse, citing Mayhew’s privacy.
‘‘Jacob and his brother have told us that they wish to maintain their privacy and move forward with their lives following the impact of the experiences they had while in the care of a provider funded by Child, Youth and Family,’’ Groom said.