Gloriavale teacher assaulted boys

A man working as an unregistered teacher at Gloriavale Christian Community assaulted and verbally abused children in his care.

Vigilant Standtrue, 39, pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court last week to three representative charges of assaulting three boys aged between 9 and 11. Charges relating to a fourth boy were earlier withdrawn. Court documents show Standtrue, who represented himself, assaulted the boys in seven incidents between 2017 and 2021 while he was working as a teacher in the school and as a supervisor in the community gardens. He pushed and shook the children for minor mistakes.

The Crown’s summary of facts says the first incident happened when the victim was 9.

‘‘The defendant organised a treasure hunt for the students in the classroom that he was teaching . . . The victim found the treasure and put it into a rubbish bin. The defendant became aware of what the victim had done and became angry,’’ it says. Standtrue grabbed him round the neck and shoulders, and shook him forcefully.

The following year, Standtrue became upset and angry at him.

He approached the boy, who was sitting at a desk, and firmly placed his hand on his shoulder in a downward motion.

When the boy was 11, he accidentally pulled out a yam while weeding the community gardens.

‘‘The defendant became upset and angry, and started yelling at the victim,’’ the summary of facts says. ‘‘The defendant then grabbed the victim by his collar near his neck and shoulder area and pushed him away from the yam bed. This caused the victim to fall backwards in the garden ditch.

‘‘The victim got up and the defendant grabbed the victim again and began to shake him. He then called him a moron and a clumsy idiot.’’

The second victim was aged 8 or 9 when he was late for work in the gardens. Standtrue grabbed him by the overalls and shook him.

When the victim was 10 or 11, Standtrue grabbed and shook him when he accidently crushed a yam.

The third victim was 10 or 11 and working in community gardens with Standtrue when the latter became angry with him and pushed him to the ground.

Standtrue, who said he was under much pressure, was remanded for sentencing in January.