David Benson-Pope. Picture / Fotopress

David Benson-Pope. Picture / Fotopress

David Benson-Pope stood down from the Cabinet last night until an inquiry decides whether he administered cruel punishment to former pupils and assaulted one of them.

If the inquiry supports the claims, the Associate Education Minister will have to resign not only as a minister but almost certainly from Parliament as well. Prime Minister Helen Clark said this morning that she had to accept his denial of the allegations made in Parliament last week.

The allegations were raised again last night on TV3 after three of the five accusers identified themselves. One included a man who says that as a 14-year-old he had a tennis ball stuffed in his mouth.

They were all students of Bayfield High School in Dunedin, where Mr Benson-Pope taught for 24 years. They say there are other witnesses to some of the alleged incidents.

The accusations against him include throwing tennis balls at students to keep them quiet, striking a pupil with the back of his hand and making the pupil's nose bleed at a school camp, and caning a student hard enough to draw blood.

Mr Benson-Pope denied the allegations in Parliament last week when they were raised by Act leader Rodney Hide and National MP Judith Collins, just a few days after the minister had launched an anti-bullying campaign.

Helen Clark watched TV3 news last night with Mr Benson-Pope and senior colleagues.

She said this morning: "He could see that the people coming forward were making allegations of assault. At that point, the matter has to be settled one way or the other and the credibility of the allegations has to be investigated."

Helen Clark said she had not asked Mr Benson-Pope about the specific allegations but she added: "I accept the minister's word. The minister's given his word in Parliament."

Mr Benson-Pope asked to be relieved of his portfolios, the compulsory education sector and fisheries.

Helen Clark will seek the advice of Solicitor-General Terence Arnold, QC, before deciding what sort of inquiry should be held.

Options include handing the claims directly to the police, or ordering a ministerial inquiry by someone such as a Queen's Counsel.

Two of the accusers, Phil Weaver and Aaron Tasker, live in Perth.

Mr Weaver told TV3 political editor Stephen Parker Mr Benson-Pope had "a fetish for tennis balls", either throwing them at people or banging pupils on the head with one attached to the end of an archery arrow.