NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Former Marist brother sentenced for child sex crimes in the 1970s

NZ Herald
11 Sep, 2019 01:54 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former Marist brother Michael Beaumont has been sentenced for his crimes. Photo / Michael Craig

Former Marist brother Michael Beaumont has been sentenced for his crimes. Photo / Michael Craig

A former Marist brother and Auckland Catholic Diocese employee has been sentenced to home detention after admitting historical sex charges against young girls.

He also faced further charges over possessing objectionable material.

Michael Beaumont was sentenced today in North Shore District Court.

The 72-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of indecently assaulting two 12-year-old girls and one 9-year-old girl in 1977.

He did so just moments prior to standing trial in February.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Judge Jonathan Down has also ordered Beaumont to be registered as a child sex offender.

The sentence includes 11 months for the three indecent assaults, and one month for possessing objectionable material.

Beaumont worked in Masterton and Wairarapa in the 1970s and also coached sports teams.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Beaumont's charge of possessing objectionable material was a centre of debate at sentencing.

The material was literature depicting sexual violations against children.

Crown lawyer Nick Webby said it undermined the previous argument that Beaumont had not offended since the 1970s.

"There has not been 40 years when the offender has stayed out of the police's attention."

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

US authorities catch Waiheke Island man exploiting missing children

24 May 05:00 PM
New Zealand|crime

'Appalling case': Neglected 89yo found 'fused' to couch

07 Sep 04:04 AM
New Zealand|crime

Kiwi who paid $80 to abuse boy in Manila hotel seeks permanent suppression

02 Aug 12:05 AM
New Zealand|crime

Man caught viewing child pornography on ferry

23 Aug 12:00 AM

Webby said although it was literature, the acts depicted were at the most serious end of the spectrum.

But Beaumont's lawyer James Olsen argued it shouldn't land him on the register.

"Certainly if there had been some other contact with a child, that would be a real concern," Olsen said.

"But in terms of just possessing the material alone... there are no victims."

In delivering the sentence, Judge Down concluded he could pose a continued risk to children in the community.

"The further offending demonstrates that your perverse thinking is still in place and requires further assessment."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One of the victims - who has name suppression and is 50 years old now - has read out her victim impact statement in court.

"As my family sat in a circle and prayed the rosary, respectfully with closed eyes, I sat beside Brother Michael," she said.

She was initially excited that a man of God wanted to sit beside her, but that quickly changed once the abuse started.

"In trying to process this abuse I concluded I was a naughty child before God, I had sinned."

She said despite her love for the church as a child, the abuse made it hard to continue living as a practising catholic, and she eventually left.

"Every time I went to church I was taunted by images of the clergy. Church became a place of trauma."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I walked away in anger and shame, as my decision to leave also meant my children couldn't go to mass."

Judge Down said in sentencing the victim has been robbed of a form of support and comfort through the church.

"I can understand how she feels, I'm a person of faith myself and where someone abuses that trust... it can have all kinds of ramifications on ... how they turn to the church for support."

The judge said an aggravating factor in the sentence, was Beaumont's breach of trust as a church representative.

"You were there as an invited guest and minister to the religious needs of these families."

"It was common that the children felt privileged in being singled out by you."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"You clearly breached a significant burden of trust that the parents put in you."

Judge Down also ordered Beaumont to pay $3,000 in emotional harm to one of the victims.

Beaumont was last year listed under administration support for tertiary education provider The Catholic Institute of New Zealand on its website.

"Michael was a teacher for many years and is now working part time for TCI in a support role and part time for the Auckland Diocese in a similar role for the RE [religious education] Team," it said.

"He has also, since its inception, been involved as a member of the team fielding calls to the Family Violence Information Line, part of the "It's not OK" campaign helping to increase awareness around family violence and abuse."

Beaumont also formerly worked part-time for the Auckland Catholic Diocese.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Business|economy

'Hang in there': Experts warn of turmoil in oil, financial markets

22 Jun 07:41 PM
New ZealandUpdated

Wellington commuters face delays after motorway crash

22 Jun 07:40 PM
live
New Zealand

Listen: Luxon, Peters to speak on US-Iran conflict as NZ deploys plane to Middle East

22 Jun 07:36 PM

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Hang in there': Experts warn of turmoil in oil, financial markets

'Hang in there': Experts warn of turmoil in oil, financial markets

22 Jun 07:41 PM

Experts urge calm, highlighting long-term market resilience over short-term fears.

Wellington commuters face delays after motorway crash

Wellington commuters face delays after motorway crash

22 Jun 07:40 PM
Listen: Luxon, Peters to speak on US-Iran conflict as NZ deploys plane to Middle East
live

Listen: Luxon, Peters to speak on US-Iran conflict as NZ deploys plane to Middle East

22 Jun 07:36 PM
What could be behind Auckland's increase in dog attacks?

What could be behind Auckland's increase in dog attacks?

How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop
sponsored

How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP