By Yvonne Martin
The Press
October 6, 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4227199a24035.html
The Catholic order whose young charge shot and seriously wounded a Christchurch farmer has shown some sympathy 41 years later.
Hart Cox, retired at 78, spoke to The Press this week about how the 1966 shooting impacted on his life and that of his family.
He was shot at point-blank range by a runaway 14-year-old pupil from the neighbouring St John of God Order's Marylands residential school for boys with intellectual difficulties in Middleton.
Now 55, the gunman received $65,000 compensation from the order for alleged sexual abuse by a religious brother during his time at Marylands.
 |
| Hart Cox |
He is also claiming $250,000 damages in the High Court from the Crown Health Financing Agency for sexual abuse he alleges he suffered at a former Nelson psychiatric hospital. He has name suppression.
Cox, who lost his health and farm because of the shooting, wants some acknowledgement of what his family has been put through.
Simon Feely, a St John of God spokesman, said the shooting was "tragic, shocking".
"The Provincial (Brother Timothy Graham), along with absolutely everyone in the order, feels enormously sad and sorry for all concerned," he said.
Feely has asked to be put in contact with Cox, so the order can speak to him directly, rather than through the media.
His wife, Tui Cox, said: "I would appreciate some help from them."
Hart Cox blames the St John of God brothers for the incident, particularly the mistreatment of vulnerable boys in their care. He has never had an apology or acknowledgement from the order for the shooting.
Tui Cox said the brothers should have taken better care of their charges, which would have prevented the 14-year-old fleeing Marylands.
On November 1, 1966, the pupil went on the rampage with a stolen farm shotgun. He felt anger towards men at the time, the High Court in Christchurch heard this week.
The Coxes farmed an 85ha block bordering on Marylands. About 5.45am, the armed teenager knocked on their front door, then fired at Cox when he responded in his pyjamas and dressing gown.
Cox was shot in the stomach, lost part of his intestines and nearly lost his left arm. Not expected to live, he spent a month in hospital and then had to walk away from the farm he loved because of ill health.
He has limited function in his left hand, which is always numb and cold, and still has lead pellets in his stomach and right thumb.
In June, the order's former complaints manager, Michelle Mulvihil,l blew the whistle on its operation.
She quit in disgust as head of its professional standards committee for nine years, saying the order had an ingrained culture of sexual abuse and should be shut down.
The brotherhood was in such a state of denial, it was impossible to get the gravity of its abuse problem recognised, Mulvihill said.
The final straw for her came in March when four out of five of the Australasian province's newly elected leadership team had been or were the subject of historic sexual or physical abuse allegations.
About 80 former Marylands boys have received payouts, totalling about $5 million. A St John of God brother and priest, and a former brother, are facing sex-abuse charges in the Christchurch District Court.
Feely said an audit of the order was being done for its worldwide leader in Rome and for the Australasian leadership.
The professional standards committee expected to finalise the tender process for the audit this month, he said.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.