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	Brethren Pledge No Cover-Up By Vanessa Phillips Stuff [New Zealand] April 21, 2007 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/4034078a10.html Exclusive Brethren leaders in Nelson have been spoken to by church officials who are trying to find out more details about former members' claims of sexual abuse in Nelson, an Exclusive Brethren spokesman says. The Exclusive Brethren's Australia and New Zealand spokesman, Tony McCorkell, said the church was not trying to cover up the situation, but needed more information about the sexual abuse alleged before it could act. Nelson police have received complaints from three former Exclusive Brethren women, which involve allegations of historical molestation of children by one man over four decades. A fourth woman is understood to be in the process of laying a complaint in Auckland about the same man, who is still a member of the sect. Tasman police district commander Inspector Grant O'Fee called for information from members of the public, saying the allegations were serious and stretched back several decades. "All of the people involved either were or are Exclusive Brethren. The complaints were historical stretching back 40 years," he said. "They are serious sexual allegations. Some of the complainants no longer live in the Nelson area." It is understood that at least one lives in Auckland. "Police are still at the gathering information phase. We have not yet spoken to the man in question. Because of the long time period the circumstances are understandably hazy," Mr O'Fee said. "If these sorts of circumstances strike a chord with people we would like to hear from them." Mr McCorkell, who is based in Australia, said that until Thursday, when there was media coverage of the matter, he had only heard rumours that there were cases in New Zealand where former Exclusive Brethren women were alleging sexual abuse. "That was all we'd heard. We didn't know who or what. We don't act on rumours." Television One News reported on Thursday night that when asked what the church was doing about the sexual abuse allegations, Mr McCorkell replied: "I'm not aware of that. If you have evidence of that, I'd be glad to see it." However, he told the Nelson Mail on Friday that while his visit to New Zealand this week was partly in relation to the row over political involvement by Brethren members, it was also to meet with former Exclusive Brethren members who claimed to have details about the sexual abuse allegations. He said he met with those former members in Wellington on Thursday but said they refused to give details to him and wanted to deal with the accused man. "It left me bewildered and confused," Mr McCorkell said. "I can't say yes or no (to that request). I stressed that if there's anyone in harm's way it has to be tabled so the church can deal with it." "No one has come to the church with the details. "Honestly and truthfully, unless the allegations are actually given to the Brethren, how can the Brethren do anything about it?" Mr McCorkell said church officials spoke to Nelson members about the situation on Friday and still wanted details about the complaints so the church could look into the allegations. "How can we act if we don't know what we are acting on?" The mother of one of the complainants has said that over a decade ago she wrote to her parents, who were in the church, with her daughter's allegations. She said her parents took the concerns to the church leaders in Nelson, had the matter looked into, and were told it was completely without foundation. Mr McCorkell said he had no knowledge of that. The church's troubleshooter was due to return to Australia Friday but cancelled his flight at a late stage after speaking to the Nelson Mail and then contacting Mr O'Fee, who confirmed that police were investigating the complaints. Mr McCorkell said the alleged offender remained a member of the church but had never held any position of seniority. He believed it was not a matter of a breach of trust in a church role. He said he had spoken to the elderly Nelson man, who was not attending church while police investigations were under way. Mr McCorkell said he decided to stay in New Zealand another day to deal with media, rather than to get involved in the police inquiry, which he said he did not want to prejudice. He planned to fly back to Australia tonight.
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