Newspaper Article 2001 – Inquiry into claims of abuse at boys’ home

Inquiry into claims of abuse at boys’ home

CHRIS MOLE

A private investigation has begun into allegations of abuse at Beck House, a former Social Welfare home for emotionally disturbed boys at Eskdale.

Advanced Investigations Ltd of Auckland is asking former residents and staff of Beck House to contact them about claims of abuse there between 1977 and 1987.

Investigator Mike Campbell said his firm was making inquiries on behalf of a client. He would not say whether the client was a former resident of Beck House, nor what kind of allegations were involved, expect to say it was a form of “mistreatment”.

He declined to say whether sexual abuse was alleged.

The investigators intended to place a series of newspaper advertisements around the country, in an attempt to locate former residents and staff of the home. “We want to speak to them about their experiences at Beck House,” he said.

“We hope people’s memories will be jogged and they’ll be able to recount specific events which occurred. We want to shake the tree and see what comes out.”

Ross Goldsbury, a staff member at Beck House from 1977: to 1987, including a period as acting principal, said he was surprised to learn of the allegations and believed they would prove to be without substance.

“Tm not concerned and I’ve got no concerns about any of the staff who were there with me,” Mr Goldsbury said.

“It would be right out of character of any of the staff, I can’t imagine (abuse) going on.”

Beck House was for troublesome boys aged between nine and 13, from all over New Zealand, whose parents or schools could not cope with them, and some were difficult to deal with at times, he said.

However, staff had to follow clearly-defined procedures to discipline boys who misbehaved.

“There was no corporal punishment. We used positive reinforcement,” Mr Goldsbury said. “For example, if they stole something they’d have to pay it back.”

Most boys spent several months at Beck House some up to three years and the experience tended to be “quite a stabilising period in their lives”, he said.

Beck House could accommodate up to 24 boys at a time and about 140 went through the home during the 10 years it operated. “I don’t know what’s suddenly brought about (the allegations of abuse),” Mr Goldsbury said.

“I suspect it’s someone after a few dollars because ACC is starting to pay out on abuse cases.

“Mr Goldsbury said former residents of Beck House would be difficult to track down as they were scattered throughout New Zealand and probably overseas.

“There’s not many left in Hawke’s Bay now,” he said.

The Department of Child Youth and Family Services said it was not aware of any abuse having occurred at Beck House.

Hawke’s Bay area manager for the department, Les Kennedy, said he had never heard of any such allegations concerning the home.

A spokesman for the department in Wellington, Stephen Ward, said he had not spoken to the private investigators but was aware of their newspaper advertisement.

Mr Ward said he would expect anyone with a claim against the home to come to the department, which had assumed the role of the former Social Welfare Department.