Army abuse report delayed

A long-delayed inquiry into allegations of abuse at the army's former cadet school in Waiouru has been further held up by legal checks.

Defence Minister Phil Goff today said legal steps -- such as seeking consent of people named in the report, authorisation to disclose an earlier inquiry's findings, and showing it to people criticised in the report -- had to be taken before former High Court judge David Morris' report could be released.

The inquiry was sparked last October when former army sergeant Ian Fraser, himself a former cadet, published an article reporting widespread physical, psychological and sexual abuse of cadets as young as 15 at the school in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Justice Morris' inquiry began in November last year and was to have been completed by the end of March but was held up when he suffered a heart problem.

Mr Goff said the "lengthy" and "thorough" report was received on October 6 and was referred to Crown Law.

"The legal advice suggested I should take a number of steps prior to the release but I will be releasing the report as soon as I have followed those steps," Mr Goff told National Radio.

Judge Morris was asked to look into the behaviour and treatment of cadets at the school from 1948 until it closed in 1991 as well as events surrounding the killing of cadet Grant Bain who was shot in the barracks by another cadet in 1981.

Mr Goff said the judge had kept in contact with the Bain family.

"I can certainly understand their frustration -- they have lived for more than 22 years with the frustration of believing that the way in which the death of their brother and son was dealt with was inadequate -- and they're anxious of course now to see those events exposed in the public and to get the report findings formally."

Mr Goff would not indicate report findings. He said all former cadets were given an opportunity to air their grievances.

Mr Fraser had claimed that about a third of all cadets suffered abuse at the school and his aim was to gain recognition and possible compensation for those suffering continuing problems from their abuse.

He previously said it had long been recognised that soldiers could have problems as a result of traumatic military experiences.

But it was harder for army authorities to accept that trauma and other psychological damage could result from the army's own culture of violence.

His story prompted about 300 former cadets to report their experiences at Waiouru.

Grant Bain's brother Murray said he felt the judge had carried out an impartial inquiry.

"We're quietly confident... we'll wait and see," he told National Radio.

The Bains' mother had died and their father was ill. "He's pretty keen to see it."

Mr Bain said he accepted Mr Goff's reasons for the delay and the family would get a copy of the report before it was publicly released.

- NZPA