Sharples bares his soul on violence

Pita Sharples

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples will reveal the extent to which violence affected his family in an interview to be screened on TV3 on Monday night.

Dr Sharples has said he has been a victim of violence, but it is understood that he will go one step further in the interview.

TV3 has been promoting the 60 Minutes story Beyond the Bash featuring interviews with prominent New Zealanders, including Dr Sharples and former Labour MP John Tamihere.

The men candidly discuss the struggles they faced in childhood, and "how hard it is for them to stop visiting the same abuse on their loved ones".

"Some admit they haven't always succeeded," the promotion says.

Dr Sharples is on holiday in Rarotonga, attending a family birthday, and could not be contacted.

His former wife, Aroha Paenga, said she did not know about the programme. She would not discuss it, saying she was looking after her sick mother and just wanted to be with her.

A friend, who did not want to be named, said any disclosure by Sharples would hurt the family.

"There was so much going on in those days, especially with the marriage breakdown and all the children."

Dr Sharples' son, Paora Sharples, said he had not spoken to his father about the documentary and did not know anything about it.

Dr Sharples received media coverage recently when he stepped into the case of murdered baby twins Chris and Cru Kahui and launched a scathing attack on their family.

"A senior member of the family was so drunk on a couch they had to shake him heaps before he would wake up and talk to me," said Dr Sharples.

This month he told the Sunday Star-Times that when he was young his father gave him horrific hidings.

"Drinking was common ... I grew up where there was a lot of fighting. Blood would be dripping off my whole body.

"I couldn't go to school for a month until the wounds healed, at least the ones that were showing."

He said, however, that he had broken the cycle of violence.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I made sure I did."