Steve Brown says it's clear Dilworth's establishment for a long time cared more about money and reputation than justice for abuse survivors. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Steve Brown says it's clear Dilworth's establishment for a long time cared more about money and reputation than justice for abuse survivors. Photo / Jason Oxenham
For months, he was a presence in the back of courtrooms, often alone in the public gallery as former Dilworth staff were called into the dock to face sexual abuse charges.
Steve Brown, formerly Dilworth Old Boys’ Association president, attended many court hearings as abusers sometimes sought to keep theirnames secret or contest the charges.
As he kept track of the cases in the school sexual abuse scandal, Brown said he attended mostly to show his support for survivors.
Brown said he was often at odds with some in the school establishment as the scale of abuse became clearer and calls for justice louder.
He said the school for far too long was obsessed with money and reputation, to the detriment of survivors.
Brown said the report proved the school covered up abuse, covered for abusers, and created a situation where generations of boys were left with shattered lives.
He said questions remained about whether Dilworth would offer redress and meaningfully engage with survivors.
Redress includes appropriate compensation for harm done, but in this context can also describe ongoing support and appropriate apologies.
Brown said Dilworth should engage with families of former students lost to suicide or battling drug addiction linked to the abuse.
Dame Silvia Cartwright ONZ and Frances Joychild KC led the independent inquiry. Photo / Dean Purcell
“From 1969, the Old Boy leaders of Dilworth ... were strong characters, but when they needed to act as society expected, they lacked the values, character, and competence that good leaders have,” Brown said.
“Consequently, generations of Dilworth boys were emotionally, physically and sexually abused, and their needs neglected, all for the sake of protecting the Dilworth name and its asset base.”
He added: “So many former students speak of failed relationships, marriages, not being able to properly function due to PTSD, and let us not forget the boys who have suicided because they cannot cope with their Dilworth experiences.
“Whilst most of these boys are covered by the term the ‘lost generation’, it is actually generations. For years, these boys and their families have been almost invisible to the Dilworth community.”
Brown said too often, those who ran the school forgot the Christian values taught, and replaced philanthropist James Dilworth’s will and original wishes for the boys of Dilworth with self-interest.
Brown said the new independent report showed Dilworth Trust Board and senior leadership knew as early as 1996 they were not dealing with an isolated abuse case.
But the failure to tackle abuse stretched back much further.
When it could have put survivors first, Dilworth too often did not, Steve Brown says. He has called on the school to support those navigating the wreckage caused by abuse. Photo / Jason Oxenham
As Open Justice reported, inquiry findings released today found the board knew of abuse dating back as far as the 1950s but didn’t investigate complaints properly.
By late 2020, more than 80 complainants came forward to police as part of Operation Beverly. By the time of the independent inquiry, 126 former students reported sexual abuse and 134 serious physical abuse.
“As an old boy, I cannot imagine how let down James and Isabella Dilworth would feel by those who benefited from what they bequeathed, but then failed to uphold the Christian values they had been taught and aspirational goals of providing good and useful members of society,” Brown said.
Dame Silvia Cartwright ONZ and Frances Joychild KC led the inquiry.
“A cloak of silence was placed over the abuse, preventing the public from knowing of it, and forestalling criticism of the school. Until this century, the board perpetuated the silence by failing to notify the Department of Education or future employers of the sexually abusing staff.”
The report detailed 19 recommendations.
“We commend the school for the work it has done to obtain Child Wise accreditation, which appears to have initiated a fundamental cultural change and should reduce significantly the risk of abuse of students,” Cartwright and Joychild said.
Dilworth has described Child Wise as independent programme available to help institutions develop child safety processes.
Cartwright and Joychild said causative factors of Dilworth abuse were being addressed.
“It will take time for the new culture to embed, and continuous attention to ensure the changes outlined are sustained.”
Dilworth Trust Board chairman Aaron Snodgrass today said the inquiry “shed light on events and behaviour that should never have occurred”.
He said the report was unsparingly honest about Dilworth’s historical failures to protect students.
“It will help us to learn from our past mistakes, which I hope will contribute in a meaningful way to the recovery and healing process for former students who were abused, their families and whānau.”
He said the board apologised to everyone who suffered abuse while students at Dilworth.
MALE SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVORS
Where to get help:
If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on 0800 044 334 or text 4334. (available 24/7)
