Christ's College says sorry, expects more complaints from ex-students

There may be some students who attended Christ's College who are yet to complain about the treatment they endured, its board chair says. Photo / Supplied

By RNZ

A private boys' school in Christchurch has apologised to dozens of its former students for their treatment, which has so far included three complaints of sexual abuse, the board chair says.

Christ's College began contacting all its old boys after a former student, Jim Goodwin, told the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care about bullying by fellow students in the 1970s.

School board chair Hugh Lindo said the school had received many emails of support for Goodwin who also described his sexual abuse in evidence he gave to the Royal Commission.

Lindo said he had also received letters and emails from some students describing their own traumatic experiences, while they had attended Christ's College.

Two other ex-students had complained of sexual abuse and they had been put in contact with the facilitator the college had appointed. The facilitator would help the school with an apology and support for those ex-students.

Lindo told Morning Report he would back them if they decided to take their complaints to the police.

He expected there were other bullying victims who had not so far got in touch.

He had written apologies to about 70 to 80 old boys, many of whom had attended Christ's College during the 70s and 80s.

"That seems to be an era where the culture of bullying and traditions that originated many many years ago still existed then and we've heard from a number of old boys in that era."

Lindo said he had also had a complaint from another man who attended the school in the 1950s, there were a few from the 1960s and some from the early 2000s. They were being encouraged to get in contact with the facilitator.

The traditions they were outlining had been inherited from British independent schools, especially the concept of "fagging" where junior boys had to do the bidding of senior students. He agreed that it was similar to being a slave and said he was confident that it was wiped out at the school in the 1980s.

Lindo said the approach now was for staff to ensure a climate of pastoral care where the wellbeing of the boys was at the forefront of care.

- RNZ