Gloriavale’s leader is accused of touching young girls while his wife and daughter sat next to him at breakfast.
Howard Temple is on trial at the Greymouth District Court on 24 charges of sexual offending against girls and young women over a period of more than two decades.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
One of the nine complainants gave evidence on Tuesday and said that, as a child, she was tasked with serving a homemade non-alcoholic cider to commune members at breakfast.
She said she would stand next to Temple, who was at the head of one of the tables, with his wife and daughter on either side, to pour the cider into cups.
The woman said she needed both hands to handle the jug, so she couldn’t “protect” herself when Temple touched her.
Howard Temple is being accused of touching young girls even while his wife and daughter sat next to him at breakfast. (Source: 1News)
“He would run his hands up and down my legs, over top of my dress and he’d touch my bum or maybe put his arm around me.
“He’d ask me if anyone had told me that they loved me today.”
She said she would respond only by shrugging.
The court heard that if Temple persisted, then she would “lie” and tell him that someone had told her she was loved, as she did not want him to say it to her.
She said she was scared of Temple because he held “all the authority in Gloriavale” and had the “power to ruin your life”.
“Right from the [time as a] baby, you’re taught not to speak against the leaders.
“As a woman, you’re supposed to be meek and quiet with downcast eyes.
“When you do speak up about abuse that has happened to you, it is inevitably your fault that it happened because you seduced them somehow.”
The woman said she didn’t speak out about the alleged abuse because the leaders held ultimate authority, and even parents would listen to the leaders over their children.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Marcus Zintl, the woman was quizzed why she never told police about her bottom being touched.
Zintl asked: “Do you agree that nowhere in your police statements have you mentioned Mr Temple on multiple occasions touching your backside, either in the kitchen or the dining room areas?”
The woman responded: “Because I didn’t use the word backside. It says that he touched me.”
The woman said Temple would regularly visit the kitchen where she worked and he would approach members from behind while they were serving meals.
“We had to keep working so we couldn’t walk away.
“He would come up behind us and rub our back or kiss our neck or just ask us how our day had been,” said the woman.
Zintl said the witness had made up the claims of kissing and touching her bottom, andTemple was simply showing affection by hugging commune members.
“In terms of the touching of your legs, I suggest that, if that did happen, it was accidental,” said Zintl.
The trial continues.
