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News & Events
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."
- John Donne
- John Donne
Survivors of abuse in care celebrate ‘validating’ name change
For the men who survived “evil” sexual and physical abuse in a Catholic boys’ home in Christchurch, last week was the first time authority figures gave them a reason to smile. The reserve and street named after Marylands School is being renamed…
Mark Staufer and Neil Harding: The Lost Boys of Dilworth
Auckland’s Dilworth boarding school was set up to to provide education to boys from disadvantaged backgrounds for free. Last year an independent inquiry into sexual and physical abuse at the school uncovered a “catalogue of damage and injustice” spanning more…
‘Nobody believes you if you’re a bloke’: Barriers to disclosure and help-seeking for male forced-to-penetrate victims/ survivors
Research on barriers that exist for male victims/survivors of sexual abuse in relation to disclosing their experiences is limited. This article shares qualitative data in relation to disclosure and helpseeking barriers encountered by male victims/survivors of female-perpetrated sexual abuse. Findings…
Lived experience allyship in mental health services: Recommendations for improved uptake of allyship roles in support of peer workforces
Inclusion of service users in the design and delivery of mental health services is clearly articulated throughout Australian mental health action plans and stated as an expectation within contemporary mental health policy. International and local Australian research demonstrates benefits for…
Putting the boot in
OPINION: As the ink dries on the Royal Commission’s report in abuse in state care, what must it be like for survivors to witness the Government’s direction on boot camps for young offenders? ‘Boot camps’ serve only one real purpose…
‘Not justice’: Survivor’s advocate slams ‘pathetic’ settlement offer
Late last year, former Marist Brother Charles Afeaki changed his plea, mid-trial, and admitted to 13 charges of sexual abuse of two 11-year-old boys in the 1970s. Former Marist Brother Charles Afeaki will be sentenced in May for his abuse of…
Towards peer-led and person-centred care
When I first plunged back into postgraduate studies, I had no idea it would lead me here – to new perspectives that have unravelled not only my previous academic understandings, but also, understandings of myself, my identity, my intentions, and…
Peer support work: an international scoping review
A recent comprehensive review of the international literature regarding the use of peer support services in the mental health sector affirms the principles and practices embodied in the Purposeful Peer Support Aotearoa. The scoping review of the international literature was…
Marlborough sports coach faces 35 sex abuse charges as more added
A Marlborough sports coach facing a raft of charges relating to sexual offences against children has had four more charges laid against him. The new charges relate to alleged events that happened between July 2014 and August 2022. The new…
Major Gloriavale investigation finds 138 potential abuse victims, dozens of suspected offenders
A major police investigation into abuse at Gloriavale has identified more than 100 potential victims of crimes spanning about four decades, Stuff can reveal. The previously undisclosed and ongoing investigation, dubbed Operation Mathius, began in 2021, and followed another investigation that brought to light…
‘Close to tears’: How two men took down a Marist ‘monster’
Charles Afeaki, a Marist Brother and schoolteacher, was prolific in his sexual offending against his pupils in the 1970s. This month, he stood trial again on charges which have ruined his victims’ lives. Steve Kilgallon reports. Charles Afeaki walked slowly…
‘I was terrified all the time’: Catholic Brother, schoolteacher faces trial for historical sex offences
“From that day on, I was terrified,” an alleged victim of sexual abuse by Marist Brother and schoolteacher Charles Afeaki told an interviewing police detective. “I stopped learning at that class, I stopped learning at that school. I stopped learning forever.” Three…