The episode also features first-hand accounts of the abuse from Tanjas, from her book Flight of the Dancing Bird which she released after her father was imprisoned.
Ronald Van Der Plaat physically and sexually abused his daughter for 23 years.
Leask also traverses Van Der Plaat’s life and other offending after he was released from prison on parole - and the last court case he appeared at before his death in 2022.
The case was before the courts for a long time before anything could be published.
After Van Der Plaat’s horrendous abuse of his own daughter was revealed his name became synonymous with one of New Zealand’s most abhorrent sex cases.
Overseas media reported he was “New Zealand’s Fritzl” - in reference to a similar case in Austria.
Josef Fritzl imprisoned his own daughter Elisabeth for 24 years in a specially made basement under the family home.
He raped her countless times.
The abuse resulted in the birth of seven children - three who remained in the basement and three who were brought up in the house above by Fritzl and his wife.
The seventh child died and was cremated by Fritzl himself.
Fritzl was arrested on suspicion of rape, false imprisonment, manslaughter by negligence, and incest.
In March 2009, he pleaded guilty to all counts and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
He was initially detained at a psychiatric detention facility but in 2021 he was moved to a regular prison.
Notorious sex offender Ronald Van Der Plaat and his ex wife Charlotte Stravers at court. Photo / Greg Bowker
Unlike Fritzl, Van Der Plaat continued to deny any abuse of his daughter.
He eventually said he accepted the jury’s verdict and his conviction but maintained he never harmed Tanjas - rather she was angry at him for not funding her wedding and exacting revenge on him with her allegations.
Several senior judges though blasted Van Der Plaat for that stance, saying there was overwhelming evidence against him and effectively the jury had made the right call.
Episodes of A Moment In Crime are usually released monthly, and so far, Leask has covered 44 cases including the murders of Grace Millane, Scott Guy, Austin Hemmings, Carmen Thomas, Karen Aim; the deaths of the Kahui Twins, the Edgeware Road murders, the Christchurch House of Horrors and the massacres at Raurimu and Aramoana.
Tanjas Darke spoke out about the abuse she suffered, writing a book and appearing in a documentary about her father's offending and her survival.
The podcast won a silver award in the true crime category at the inaugural New Zealand Podcast Awards in 2021.
It was also nominated in 2022.
If you have a crime or case you would like to hear more about, email anna.leask@nzme.co.nz.
Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz
