Dilworth College has formally apologised to survivors of historic sexual abuse that occurred at the private boarding school, acknowledging it had “buried, blocked, ignored and denied” horrors over decades.
Former pupils and their whānau gathered at the school this afternoon to hear the apology from the Dilworth Trust Board, which acknowledged the school’s failure to protect students.
“Today we are saying to all of you, from the depths of our hearts, that we are sorry,” Incoming board chairperson Jonathan Mason told survivors. “It was your school that let you down and failed you by allowing horrible things to happen to you.”
He said: “What Dilworth often did instead was to bury, block, ignore and deny the abuse.”
An independent inquiry in 2023 identified 175 victims of abuse at the school but acknowledged that the total number could exceed 230. The offending occurred from the 1950s until 2005, with decades of abuse cover-up.
Their stories are disturbing, compelling and important. (Source: Sunday)
A police operation resulted in 11 former staff and others connected to the school being convicted of historic abuse. Other suspected abusers died before charges could be laid.
The Dilworth Trust Board has set aside more than $50 million for compensation payments. The trust, which runs the school established in the early 1900s to educate disadvantaged boys, currently holds assets worth close to a billion dollars.
The board acknowledged they had apologised before but said it’s only now that they fully understand the extent and impact of the abuse.
“Some men have taken their own lives. Anxiety and depression have led others to resort to drugs and alcohol to mask their pain,” Mason said.
“We want to say never again. Never again can we ignore or turn our eyes away from abuse or block up our ears to the cries for help.”
An independent inquiry has found the prestigious Auckland school suppressed offending and hid the reality of teachers’ actions. (Source: 1News)
The trust board said it consulted with the school community about what to say in today’s apology, adding that many wanted the board to acknowledge the betrayal of trust, the silencing of students and staff, and the long-term impact on the wellbeing of survivors.
But one survivor, Neil Harding, felt excluded and shut out from the process.
“We should be at the table, we should be at the table of decisions. You know, it’s our redress. Everything is about Dilworth and their reputation and their apology,” he said.
Another said the board carefully worded the apology to avoid legal responsibility.
“It wasn’t authentic because the truth had to be managed so the trust board could keep themselves out of being responsible for their knowledge of the problems,” Lindsay Roxburgh told 1News.
However, survivor Skot Barnett saw value in the proceedings.
“We got commitments and some examples of the school’s change from the headmaster, and those are critical things.
“We’re not wiping the slate, but we’re definitely moving forwards.”