Abuse victims’ cautious elation

News that a royal commission will be expanded into faith-based institutions – and confirmation it will include day schools – is being cautiously hailed as a ‘‘game changer’’.

The Government on Monday announced the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care would be expanded to include faith-based institutions. The move followed extensive lobbying from child sexual abuse survivors and their advocates.

Murray Heasley, from Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith Based Institutions, had been concerned that faith-based day schools would be excluded.

Given that more than 60 per cent of sexually abused children in faith-based institutions were abused in day school settings, he was worried the bulk of the issue would be missed.

But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office confirmed day schools fell within the inquiry’s scope.

It was a move described as a ‘‘game changer’’ by Heasley, but he still wanted clarity that all abuse in faith-based organisations would be included, even if it was outside of a school setting as a result of the perpetrators’ access to students in institutions.

Steve Goodlass’ alleged abuser was sentenced to eight months’ home detention in 2015 for indecently assaulting two boys at his lower-North Island Catholic school.

Goodlass said he wants to be named as a victim, because he believes by stripping his own anonymity the church cannot hide behind it. He had already been sexually abused when he was about 10 years old, then at high school, his abuser started counselling him, he said.

That counselling, in which Goodlass revealed the earlier abuse, amounted to grooming. By the time he reached fourth form (year 10) his counsellor was taking naked photographs of the young teenager, Goodlass said.

‘‘I confided in him about sexual abuse as a kid. It was a gross abuse of privilege.’’

He was approached by police in 2013 and co-operated with the police investigation of his abuser, but because his abuse had only involved photos and no actual touching his abuse never made it to court.

So Monday’s news that the royal commission was expanding and would include day schools, of which he attended one, was ‘‘fantastic’’.

John (not his real name) said he would also offer to tell his story to the royal commission. Monday’s news was greeted with ‘‘immense jubilation’’, he said.

His abuse happened about 50 years ago as a boarder at a Catholic boys’ school when a teacher took him into his darkened office and performed a sexual act against him.

During the incident, the teacher continued to whisper in his ear, ‘‘I don’t know what to make of you’’. He then got John to pull his pants down and the teacher put his head beside his groin.

‘‘If he had touched me, I would have kneed him in the groin,’’ John said.

He left school aged 15 and after more run-ins with his abuser.

Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith Based Institutions’ Liz Tonks believed the terms of reference for the royal commission were still too vague.