The Northland family of an HIV-positive teacher who indecently assaulted five male students has apologised to the youths' families.
Former Panguru man Kaperiere Petera Leef, 45, a former head of religious studies at Auckland's Hato Petera College, yesterday admitted in the High Court at Auckland five charges of indecent assault involving
boys aged between 13 to 15, and one charge of sexual violation. He will be sentenced in that court on April 24.
Two of the charges involved Leef indecently assaulting a 14-year-old student in a college dormitory at night, and sexually abusing another boy in a motel room.
Leef was raised in Panguru and was a pupil at the convent school there before attending Hato Petera College, a Roman Catholic Maori school with strong links to the Hokianga.
Leef, who has two sisters and a brother living in Panguru, returned to Hato Petera in 1996 as a teacher, and became head of religious studies, a fourth-form dean and a Maori language teacher.
Leef family spokesman Joe Topia - also a Hato Petera old boy - said he had kept in contact with the school and Leef since late last year when Leef's medical condition and allegations against him became publicly known.
"We acknowledge that he, as a member of our whanau, has wronged. We apologise and we feel sorry, and we are ashamed of this. I'm aware, being an old boy of the school and being in touch with the school, that the victims' families accept the school situation and accept that the family has apologised."
Mr Topia said the college would remain integral to the Panguru community and boys would still be encouraged to aspire to attend. Mr Leef's actions should not be allowed to taint the school, Mr Topia said.
Most of the college's boarders come from the Far North and ninety per cent of adult men in Panguru are old boys of the school.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
