TVNZ
November 29, 2010
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/alleged-abuser-apologises-30-years-3909605
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A student who was allegedly abused by a then Marist brother teaching at a Catholic boarding school in Masterton in the 1970s, received an apology when he confronted the man by telephone 30 years later, a court was told today.
A tape of the highly charged conversation, recorded by an Australian police detective six years ago, was played to a jury in the High Court at Wellington this afternoon.
The ex-brother, Bede Thomas Hampton, 62, returned voluntarily from Queensland to face trial on 26 charges relating to incidents involving two boys at St Joseph's College in the early 1970s.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of indecently assaulting one of the boys but entered not guilty pleas to multiple charges of sexually abusing another boy.
The court was told today from Queensland police officer, Sergeant Karl Brazier, who - at the request of New Zealand police - took a statement from the complainant in late 2002.
He said he discussed with the man the possibility of ringing and speaking with Hampton, who was working by then as an interior decorator.
It was permissible in Queensland to allow such conversations to be recorded subject to set procedures, Brazier said.
The person must be aware of being recorded and the complainant or witness had to make the call without police joining the conversation or telling the caller what to say.
Callers could hang up whenever they wanted to.
The student agreed to Brazier organising the phone call to Hampton.
After initially claiming not to remember the student, Hampton said: "I'm am sorry, I really am".
Later, after hearing further accusations of some of the "countless times" he abused the student, Hampton admitted he had "had a problem" at that particular time.
"I don't suppose religious life was for me and I am really, really sorry. I don't understand it myself."
The trial, before Justice Forrest Miller and a jury of eight women and four men, is expected to last two weeks.
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