As put by Detective Senior Sergeant Kirsten Norton:
Police have welcomed the verdicts returned today in the Greymouth District Court, where a man has been found guilty for multiple historical sexual offences at Gloriavale.
A 58-year-old man has been found guilty of 11 charges of sexual offending against four out of five victims in this current trial. He is referred for sentencing to 18 March for these as well as charges pertaining to sexual offending against 5 further victims some of which date back to the 1980s.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kirsten Norton says West Coast Police acknowledge the very challenging paths for those involved to finally be heard, and hold him to account for the harm he has caused.
The Gloriavale Investigation team has the utmost respect for the courage of these individuals.
"We acknowledge the trauma these incidents would have had on not only each of the people who have been harmed, but also their family and community. While we are pleased to now have a resolution in Court, we know that events like these have a lasting and long reaching impact on survivors of sexual abuse. It is yet another significant step in the mission of many past and current members of the Gloriavale Christian Community to ensure that the current children of Gloriavale are safe from this type of harm now and in the future."
"I would also like to acknowledge the support workers and agencies, our team of investigators, and the Crown Prosecutors who put so much time and dedication into this case to support and allow the victims to have a voice."
Police would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to reach out and contact Police or a support service who can assist. We understand it can be hard to come forward as a victim of sexual abuse. There are multiple support services working in this area who can assist in making a report, and provide support along the way.
