Mothers weep to hear stories of daughters' abuse

Richard Roberts

Mothers burst into tears as they heard how Hastings music teacher Richard Lanning Roberts had abused their daughters.

They yelled "you must be joking" and "rot in hell" from the public gallery of the Napier District Court on Tuesday when Roberts, 56, was sentenced to 3 years' jail for indecently assaulting 12 girls aged between 7 and 10.

Judge Geoff Rea read out personal accounts of the 12 girls' keyboard lessons. Several parents began to sob as they realised it was their daughters' experiences that were being recounted.

One mother had not seen Roberts until he appeared in the dock and was told by Judge Rea to take a seat.

The judge took the unusual step of making Roberts sit and listen as he read from victims' impact statements.

The mother leaned forward and blinked away tears as she strained to see any reaction on Roberts' face. She had paid $135 a term so her 9-year- old could be taken out of her normal classes for keyboard lessons with Roberts.

She had taught her daughter about good and bad touching and was proud the girl and a friend had talked about how what was happening at their lessons was not right and had then gone to a teacher.

But she said the school had refused to introduce a "Safe Kids" programme and this had made her furious.

Roberts taught music at several schools in Hawkes Bay and at the Technics Music Academy in Hastings.

One girl told of how Roberts would pull out the waistband on her shorts to peer inside. Another told how he would put his hand inside her pants and touch her bottom.

One victim described how he would "accidentally" spill water on her so he could wipe it up.

Roberts abused one girl while her father was in the waiting room outside his Hastings studio.

One mother burst into tears, hearing how her daughter had felt "too scared" to tell her what happened when Roberts made her sit on his lap to play the keyboard.

Judge Rea said another 7-year-old was "too scared to tell anyone of touching and felt fears for her mother's safety if she told".

Some girls started to wear clothing that they hoped would obstruct his attentions.

A 7-year-old girl told her mother, who had sat in on her first lesson with Roberts, how he had touched her on her second and third lessons.

Judge Rea said parents had trusted Roberts.

"People like you are placed by the community in positions of trust," the judge said.

"No amount of remorse is likely to help. Is it remorse because you have been caught?

"Why did it not kick in until there were 12 proven victims?"

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY