Coroner: Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue’s sudden death result of ‘blacking out game’

Sincere Standtrue died at Gloriavale in 2018. A coroner held an inquest into his sudden passing.

A coroner has ruled that the sudden death of young Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue was an accident - caused by “blacking himself out” - and not a suicide.

But his sister - who escaped Gloriavale - has criticised the findings and process, as well as the police investigation and is considering further legal action.

The specifics of his death cannot be reported but Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame has allowed the publication of some details in a bid to dissuade others from practising the deadly activity.

On October 23, 2018 Standtrue was found with critical injuries in a paint shop where he worked at the West Coast Christian community.

The 20-year-old was rushed to Christchurch Hospital, where he died on November 2.

The death was referred to Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame who - after hearing threeweeks of evidence at an inquest - was tasked with determining whether Standtrue had committed suicide or died accidentally.

Some of his family said he had been bullied, mocked, shamed, beaten, mistreated and effectively held back from a normal life at Gloriavale which had deeply impacted his state of mind.

Others said he had no issues and was a happy and content young man.

The coroner heard evidence from Sincere's parents who live at Gloriavale and his sister who has left the secretive Christian community. Photo / Supplied

After hearing extensive evidence Coroner Cunninghame took some time to make her formal ruling.

That ruling can now be published.

“In the year before he died, Sincere had mentioned ‘blacking out’ to others at Gloriavale. By this, he meant deliberately restricting his airway in order to stop breathing for a short time,” the coroner said.

“The court heard evidence that young people at Gloriavale, in particular school-aged boys played ‘blacking out games’ ... a trend typically involving children where the person either compresses their own neck or has their neck compressed by a friend until they pass out, at which point the pressure is supposed to be released.

“At Gloriavale, blacking out was usually done in pairs … On other occasions, a person would black themselves out in front of others. Witnesses suggested that the attraction of blacking out was the resulting headrush from being temporarily deprived of oxygen.”

One Gloriavale member told the coroner: “It was like an adrenaline junkie sort of thing.”

She said there had been evidence that some at Gloriavale engaged in blacking out each other during sexual activity.

There was nothing before her to suggest that Standtrue had ever done that - or had even heard of the practice.

After considering a number of scenarios including suicide, Coroner Cunninghame ruled the death as accidental.

“The evidence is clear that Sincere was aware of and interested in blacking out,” she said.

“Sincere’s interests and attitudes were behind those of his peers in terms of his age. His interest in blacking out had continued after others had apparently grown out of the practice.

“While Sincere was not believed to be dangerous or reckless, he was known to act impulsively.

“Furthermore ... he thought that if he blacked himself out, he would start breathing again, which suggests that he may not have thought through the risks inherent in the activity.

“I am satisfied that Sincere’s death was an accident, which occurred in the course of him attempting to black himself out.”

Coroner Cunningham said there was no evidence his death occurred in the course of sexual activity.

But she said there was another factor at play - leukoencephalopathy caused by exposure to solvents.

“Sincere’s brain was damaged because he had been exposed to solvents,” she explained.

“The changes in his brain affected his ability to recover from the blacking out incident which ultimately killed him.

“It was not possible to establish whether Sincere was exposed to solvents as a result of working with them in an unsafe manner, or as a result of intentionally inhaling them.”

Gloriavale Christian Community located at Haupiri on the West Coast of the South Island. Photo / George Heard

Coroner Cunninghame made several recommendations to Gloriavale’s leaders, aiming to prevent similar incidents in future.

She urged the leaders to “work collaboratively with those responsible for educating the young people” to ensure that any Ministry of Education guidelines, policies or resources on the subject of self-induced acute asphyxiation are disseminated at Gloriavale.

“What I am satisfied of is that Sincere was exposed to solvents,” she continued.

“For this reason, I am satisfied that it is appropriate to make recommendations in relation to the storage of solvents, and awareness about safety when using them.

“The inquiry into Sincere’s death is now complete. It has been a long process.”

Coroner Cunninghame ended her ruling by recalling a video of Standtrue produced for the inquest by his parents.

It showed the young man “enjoying himself with his siblings and participating in the life” at Gloriavale.

“He was fortunate to grow up in a beautiful part of New Zealand. It is certainly not the case that Sincere was always unhappy, and I was struck by his big smile and his sense of playfulness,” she said.

“Sincere’s death was a tragedy. I saw how it has affected (family and friends) ... and the wider community.

“It is perhaps unfortunate that Sincere’s death drew such a level of speculation, but I am hopeful that the issuing of these findings will lay some rumour and suspicion to rest.”

Standtrue’s parents provided a statement to the Herald following the Coroner’s decision.

“We would like to express or appreciation for the care and sensitivity that Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame showed during the inquest into our sons’ death,“ said Caleb and Hannah Standtrue.

“Her professionalism and empathy made a difficult process more bearable. We are grateful for her role in helping us find closure during this difficult time. Please know your efforts are appreciated and we are grateful for your service.”

His sister Rose was critical of the process and felt important information was not considered.

She left the Christian community in 2021 and was part of a case against Gloriavale in the Employment Court at Christchurch.

She and Pearl Valor, Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Crystal Loyal and Virginia Courage say they were effectively born into and kept in “servitude” - which is illegal in New Zealand - forced to work long days with no breaks and very little food or water.

“My brother was a kind and loving person. He had a beautiful soul and a kind heart,” she said.

“He always looked after his younger siblings. Sincere was taken too soon and we miss him every day.”

She claimed the Coroner “held back the investigation of the timeline of events leading to Sincere’s death” until the last day of the inquest - meaning it was “too late to fully cross examine key witnesses”.

“My legal team was concerned that this key part of the case was being inadequately considered and so requested that the Coroner launch a full and thorough investigation into my brother’s death, including this key timeline information but she denied this request,” she said.

“Additionally, in my opinion, by limiting the inquest’s scope to exclude the interpretation of religious doctrine - except when directly relevant to understanding certain issues - the Coroner overlooked a key characteristic of Gloriavale.

“In Gloriavale, doctrine dictates every aspect of life, eliminating any division between the secular and the sacred. This oversight potentially hinders a full understanding of the issues at hand, significantly impacting the outcome of the case.”

Rose Standtrue said she had “great respect for the police and the important work they carry out”.

“However, regarding my brother’s death, the reality is that they fell short in their duties,” she said.

“I believe their decision-making compromised the collection of factual evidence, hindering the pursuit of justice.

“I am awaiting advice from my barrister Brian Henry, about options I may consider from here.”

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 with a particular focus on family violence, child abuse, sexual violence and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz