School teacher arrested on historic indecent assault charges in Waikato

A former St Peter’s School teacher has been arrested on multiple counts of indecent assault from the 1970s and 1980s.

Waikato police have arrested the former St Peter’s School teacher after an investigation into historical sexual offending at the Cambridge school, a police spokesperson said.

“The 73-year-old is charged with 10 counts of indecent assault involving seven victims and is due to appear in the Hamilton District Court today.

“The investigation focused on the time period from 1974 to 1980, with St Peter’s School management aware and supportive of the investigation.”

In a statement, the school said it was co-operating with the investigation into a former staff member.

The chair of the School Board Trust, John Macaskill-Smith, said he understood the school’s acknowledgement and apology for historical staff abuses, made in November 2021, was the prompt that led alumni to come forward to police and subsequent charges to be laid.

”We fully support alumni who have come forward. The School Trust Board wants to assure them we have been co-operating fully with NZ Police and we will continue to do so,” he said.

”To avoid compromising the judicial process in any way, St Peters’ Cambridge will minimise further public statements about the charges laid today.”

Police would like anyone with information to contact them on 105 or by emailing Operation.Caster@police.govt.nz.