Pamapuria inquiry to begin

A Ministry of Education investigation into the sexual abuse of juvenile boys by a Pamapuria School teacher, and how it continued for so long, is due to begin this week.

Former deputy principal James Parker pleaded guilty in the Kaitaia District Court last month to 49 charges of sexual abuse involving about 15 boys. The offences are believed to have occurred at Parker's Awanui home, as opposed to on school grounds.

Since the case was first publicised it has emerged that concerns about Parker date back 16 years, and that police warned Pamapuria School about the sleepovers at his home in 2009.

Commissioner Larry Forbes, who was appointed in place of the board of trustees within days of Parker's arrest, said last week that an independent investigation, to be carried out by an expert from the Ministry of Education starting yesterday, would establish an overview of events leading to the laying of charges. One of the major questions would be how the abuse was able to continue for such a long time.

Care would be taken not to conflict with the police investigation, Mr Forbes said.

Staff and a range of other people with connections to the school were likely to be interviewed, but no children. Other schools were Parker taught, understood to be Oturu and Awanui, and community groups are likely to be included.

The investigation was due to be completed by the end of the current term, in three weeks' time, and the report was expected two weeks later, when the new term begins, although that could be extended, depending on what emerged from the interviews.

Mr Forbes believed the report's findings would be shared publicly.

"What can be shared needs to be shared so there is a sense of learning that comes out of this. That [Parker's offending] was the major crime; it would be another crime not to learn from what went on," he said.

Support would continue to be available at the school for those who needed it.

The revelations about Parker's offending had created huge shock and surprise at the time, but staff and children were getting on with their jobs of teaching and learning,' Mr Forbes said.

"I've been amazed at the resilience of the teachers in their ability to focus on what's best for the students," he added.

Parker is due to be sentenced in the Kaitaia District Court on November 15, his lawyer saying after guilty pleas were entered that a prison term was inevitable.