By Tova O'Brien
Kaitaia teacher James Parker was investigated by police and Child, Youth And Family (CYF) three years before pleading guilty to sexually abusing young boys in his care.
The case was dropped and the information wasn't passed on, but the principal of the school knew about the investigation and was given a stern warning about Parker's behaviour.
For six years Parker sexually abused young boys in his care, often taking them to here to his home where they would sleep over.
But his actions hadn't gone unnoticed. In 2009 three children laid a complaint with police. A joint investigation was launched with CYF, but after a second interview the children withdrew their allegations."I have looked at CYF's work in this area," says Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett. "I think they have worked to the letter of the law in the best that they could. The effects of that though are horrific in a more general sense."
So CYF red-flagged Parker, but did nothing further. The Teachers Council, which registers teachers, wasn't told. Nor was the Ministry of Education.
Nor the Education Review Office, which went on to give the school a glowing review.
"The information that was known and passed on wasn't passed on all the way through the chain, and wasn't acted on appropriately," says Minister of Education Hekia Parata.
The only real action was a letter from police to the school principal, saying: "It is clearly inappropriate for a school teacher to invite children to their residence outside of school hours and having them sleeping over… I would suggest this practice stop immediately and protocols be initiated to stop this occurring in the future. "
Whether the school's principal Stephen Hovell told anyone about the letter is under investigation. He is on indefinite leave in Australia.
"I think there was a measure of trying to cover up and trying to protect, not only James Parker's behaviour but also the reputation of the school," says Kelvin Davis, former principal of Kaitaia Intermediate.
Parker managed to fool police, CYF and an entire community, and because the initial complaints couldn't be proven, a man accused of sexually abusing children was able to continue abusing them for three more years.
3 News
source: newshub archive
