Broad scope given to cadet school inquiry

By AINSLEY THOMSON


All allegations of abuse at the Waiouru Army cadet school will be investigated in a neutral way and evaluated in context, Minister of Defence Mark Burton has promised.

The terms of reference were announced yesterday for the Ministerial Review into the allegations of abuse at the school. They surfaced last month when former cadet Ian Fraser published a report for an online news service.

The review will look at the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the school between 1948 and 1991, the events surrounding the killing of cadet Grant Bain in 1981 and any other related matters.

Former High Court judge David Morris was appointed two weeks ago to head the inquiry and has begun work on the investigation.

Justice Morris will assess the information received by Mr Burton's office, and the Defence Force, as well as information from ex-cadets and their families.

He will separate issues of alleged general mistreatment from those that may amount to criminal offending.

Justice Morris has also been asked to identify allegations outside the scope of the inquiry and refer them to the responsible organisation.

Mr Burton said Justice Morris could use any source or information, including historical Defence Force material, that he considered useful.

It is expected Justice Morris will consult the police and the Crown Law Office.

Justice Morris will present his report and appropriate recommendations by March 31 next year.

Mr Fraser said he was happy with the terms of reference.

"They appear broad enough to cover all the issues. The language used is pretty straightforward, plain English. The terms of reference separate the three main issues, namely, the Bain killing, and separation of criminal abuse vs institutionalised abuse."

A week ago, the police appointed a detective superintendent to head an investigation into their handling of the shooting of Grant Bain.

A team is examining the prosecution of senior cadet Andrew William Read, who killed Mr Bain at the cadet school.

Earlier intentions to refer the case to the Police Complaints Authority fell through as it lacks jurisdiction over events before 1988.

Grant Bain, aged 17, was shot in the neck after Read threatened him with an M-16 rifle. Read, also 17, was charged with careless use of a firearm causing death.

The Bain family say police and the Army conspired to cover up the death and they believe the charge should have been manslaughter.

Read received a $200 fine and 200 hours of community service. He died in a logging accident in 1998.


The Morris inquiry

Former High Court judge David Morris will look into the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the Waiouru school from 1948 until it closed in 1991. He will also review events surrounding the killing at the school of cadet Grant Bain in 1981.

His tasks will include:Assessing information received by Defence Minister Mark Burton, the Defence Force, whistleblower Ian Fraser and the media, from former cadets and their families.

Separating issues of general mistreatment from those that involved criminal offending.

Meeting Grant Bain's family to help identify outstanding issues.

Identifying allegations that fell outside the scope of assessment and referring them to the appropriate agency.