Sexual abuse sector stretched in Christchurch

By Emily Spink
Stuff
May 22, 2016

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/79574688/Sexual-abuse-sector-stretched-in-Christchurch

Sexual abuse victim Chris has been in and out of prison for much of his adult life. He now has his first job washing windows and dishes. Photo by JOSEPH JOHNSON

Sexual abuse support agencies in Christchurch have waiting lists up to six months long for victims needing help.

Demand for counselling and education services in the city has surged as well. One agency said it had more than doubled in the last five years as people become more willing to accept support and aware of how to get it.

Services have felt the strain with resource increases not "anywhere near" matching the rising demand. They welcomed a $46 million funding boost for the sexual assault services sector announced by the Government on Wednesday.

A survey of 24 support organisations, conducted by the Green Party and released the same day, found some victims were waiting up to three months for support.

Manager of Christchurch-based social service agency START Maggy Tai Rakena said waiting lists were three months long "on a good day".

"We're often closer to five or six months.

"The wait list just keeps getting longer. We do the best we can with employing as many people as we can."

In the last five years, counselling services at START had increased by 122 per cent, consultation by 159 per cent and education by 254 per cent.

Tai Rakena hoped the Government funding boost would ease the strain.

"We can't pay the salaries. I can't go taking on more staff if I can't pay the salary. Our wait-list directly correlates to resources.

"Hopefully [the extra money] will result in a more sustainable funding model than we have at present and as a result we can meet the demand for our services in a far more timely manner."

As demand for victim services increased, so too had the number of children engaging in sexualised behaviour.

"In particular we are experiencing ongoing demand year over year for children who have engaged in concerning sexualised behaviour aged five to 12 years," said STOP Christchurch children's service acting team leader Suzanne Alliston.

"We experienced a 45 per cent increase in referrals to the Children's Service in the year to June 2015 and are projecting a 14 per cent increase in the year to June 2016.

"The demand for sexual abuse services frequently exceeds the resources available to meet the demand."

Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust manager Ken Clearwater said society needed to be aware of the extent of the issue.

"People will say 'Oh do we wrap our kids up in cotton wool?' No, you don't. What you do is you teach your children that they are in control of their bodies, that is the bottom line." 

Clearwater said there was no guarantee that the trust would benefit from the Government funding injection. 

"We've got a system that spends billions of dollars locking men up and then we don't have a system helping men."

'ALL I KNEW UP UNTIL NOW WAS JAIL'

Until recently, Chris* had only ever known a life behind bars.

"I had my childhood robbed from me and then my adult life as well."

Chris, 48, suffered severe anxiety, which was heightened by the childhood trauma he endured while in the care of the Catholic church.

"The first attack happened when I was five.

"I had 18 years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse."

With the support of the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust, he had been able to curb his fraud offending, had spent four years out of jail and gained his first job.

"The longest-ever [jail-free period] before that was a year," he said.

"All I knew up until now was jail."

Every Monday and Thursday he cleaned windows and he had just received his second-ever pay cheque.

On weekdays he would phone counsellors at the trust for a chat. They talked about sports and how Chris was getting on.

Counsellor Paul Dempsey said they were able to build a relationship with Chris in prison and after his release.

"It's just about somebody ringing and showing an understanding."

Between Dempsey and trust manager Ken Clearwater, Chris was treated to regular coffee and muffin outings.

"Sometimes we're the only family they've got," Clearwater said.

Chris was still waiting for compensation for the abuse he suffered while in care.

"In the last eight months I've turned my life around but no amount of dollars is going to fix that."

He said he had since regained self-respect and integrity. He hoped to be able to support young sexual abuse victims in the future so others did not go the same way he had.

"I still get flashbacks of abuse and jail."

Another two male sexual abuse victims of the same clergy were still in prison. The trust provided them with counselling services.

"They're two men that will probably never be released," Clearwater said.

"They've committed some horrific crimes. But as boys at seven years old and when you get raped by a priest, you can't tell me that you're growing to grow up to be a normal human being." 

*Name changed to protect his identity.