'We failed in our sacred duty': Methodist Church responds to Abuse in Care inquiry

Tuesday, 18 October 2022

The Methodist Church has answered to allegations of the abuse of children and vulnerable adults in its care.

Children have been abused under the care of the Methodist Church because the perpetrators were in it together, the culture of harm was accepted, and faith blinded the others.

Through tears, Reverend Tara Tautari described to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s faith-based response hearing on Tuesday how her church failed systemically and at almost every turn to protect children and young adults in its care.

Between 1950 and 1999 – the inquiry’s scope – the Methodist Chruch of Aotearoa New Zealand has had oversight of multiple care facilities across the country.

It has had a hand in helping the state care for vulnerable children from 1914 to 1987 at its care homes in Christchurch, Masterton and Auckland – all of which have since been closed.

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Wesley College, run by the Methodist Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, has been subject to scrutiny by the Royal Commission.

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The church continues to provide services such as foster care through missions, contracted by Oranga Tamariki.

It also has a role in the care and protection of students at Wesley College, a boarding school opened in 1844 for Māori students, which has since become a multicultural school playing host to a majority Māori and Pasifika population.

Methodist Church of Aotearoa New Zealand's general secretary Tara Tautari says abuse never was and never will be accepted by the church.

Wesley College – then and now – targeted vulnerable and disadvantaged youth.

Tautari, the general secretary of the church, told the royal commission that Methodists believe in not harming others, doing good, and following the word of God.

It was and continues to be the church’s responsibility for the care and protection of children and vulnerable youth, Tautari said.

“We failed in this sacred duty and are determined to make amends.

Commission counsel Tania Sharkey grills church leaders about the systemic enabling of abuse.

“We apologise to every person who has been abused while in the care of the church and its related institutions.

“The church did not have safeguarding policies and processes in place, and this led to unimaginable suffering.”

The abusers – who were clergy members, employees of the church and its institutions and students of Wesley College –evaded accountability because when the abuse was reported, the abused were punished, said Tautari.

“It was all about protecting the reputation of the church and also powerful people in the church, powerful people being the clergy.”

In her questioning of Tautari, Tania Sharkey, counsel assist for the commission, read out a letter one church leader wrote to another after a reverend raped his adopted daughter, showing the culture of abuse reporting.

“Thinking over the possible legal ramifications of the church knowing and not telling, I doubt there would be any. If this girl is having counselling for whatever reason then I think they will work out whether there is anything to tell, and I don’t think for one moment that the church bears any responsibility to do this,” Sharkey read.

Frances Tagaloa, who was abused as a child by a Marist Brother, hopes religious institutions will put survivors and their needs first as part of the final round of the Royal Commission's Abuse in Care inquiry response hearings.

“This was 1989, and that reverend continues to foster care for children. What is your response?”

Tautari said, “The church was complicit in enabling this abuse to continue, that is, sent a message that the clergy could continue to behave this way and get away with it.

“That this could even be put in a letter shows you the degree of freedom people felt to write like this and to have it distributed throughout the church to key leaders.”

Wesley College has been singled out by survivors for its culture of violence and abuse against students.

There was a trust, Taurati said. This reverend did not get a background check done because he was known to the church and was related to the social worker who signed off on foster homes.

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Former student and principal of Wesley College Reverend Ian Faulkner says he didn’t experience abuse at the school during his study.

The church had the chance to protect this girl and others like her from abuse through the church and Wesley College by implementing the recommendations of a protection report it commissioned in 1959, Tautari said, but little was done.

Tautari said there were elements of state care failings to assist the church in providing resources, direction or oversight of how to care for the complex cases that were placed in the church’s care.

However, she also acknowledged that the care system was seen as a source of revenue for the church.

At Wesley College, many vulnerable Māori and Pasifika were greeted with the culture of “The Wesley Way”.

With little to no supervision – the commission heard one staff member oversaw 200 students on weekends – it became the senior students’ role to care and set the standard for the juniors.

Counties Manukau rugby player and former Wesley College student Sekope Kepu wants to see improvements from the school.

Named after the church’s founder, John Wesley, the Wesley Way was commonly known among survivors as the culture of violence and suffering inflicted upon them, by staff and senior students that became a cyclical effect at the school.

Former student and principal Reverend Ian Faulkner challenged this, telling the commission the phrase had been misappropriated.

But Tautari’s disagreement of his assessment was met by applause from the hearing.

“This would not be what the church understands to be the Wesley Way but, obviously and undeniably, the culture of abuse had become so distorted as to appropriate itself on to this term, Wesley Way.”

Former student now professional rugby player for Counties Manukau Sekope Kepu took to the witness stand for the final panel of the day.

He attended Wesley College from 1999 to 2004 and recalled the inattentiveness of staff in caring for students, especially for their cultural wellbeing.

“We were pretty much just thrown in there and had senior students looking after us.

“Those resources weren’t provided, and I ask the question if it is still there? Is it being done today, because I’m passionate about this change because we need this change ever so desperately.

“For the safety of those children, and for the future, that’s what I want.”

The response hearing continues on Wednesday when the commission will hear from Dilworth School and the Anglican Church.