November 11 2020 | Seven men had been charged after an investigation into alleged historical sexual offending at Dilworth School. Video / New Zealand Police / File
A man who was sexually abused while he was lying sick in his dormitory room at Dilworth School more than 50 years ago said the cloak of shame now rests on his abuser.
Former Dilworth tutor Johnathan Stephens, 74, of the Kāpiti Coast, appeared via audio visual link at Auckland District Court this morning before Steve Bonnar QC.
He has been sentenced to six months' home detention.
In October he pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault against two boys under the age of 16 in 1971.
Stephens was aged 22 at the time of the offending and a tutor at two boarding houses at the school.
A pre sentence report stated that Stephens later realised he was damaged, and had caused damage, and was struggling with internal conflict of his sexual identity.
A father, now in his 60s, said he was abused by Stephens while he was a vulnerable 12-year-old, "physically sick" and alone in his bed in the school dormitory in 1971.
Johnathan Stephens sat silently behind his lawyer Adrian Olney in the video appearance. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
"I was attacked once by Stephens, despite its singular nature it had a profound impact on me that has reverberated around my entire life."
The man said he has difficulty hugging and being tactile with his own sons to this day as a result of the abuse.
"As they became young boys, around the age Stephens offended against me, I could no longer hug them or touch them out of fear this was considered wrong."
He described the incident in a victim impact statement read to the courtroom.
"He appeared so caring and gentle during the assault, I thought he was genuinely concerned for me."
The man, who has automatic name suppression, said he was "frozen in terror", "utterly powerless" and lay there trapped and helpless when the abuse took place.
He said he was confused about his sexuality for years after the traumatic incident and this prevented him from speaking up.
"The all-male school environment reinforced ...homosexuality was considered disgusting, weak and indicative of sickness among classmates.
"Speaking up about abuse would have been unbearable - I couldn't have beared the thought of being considered homosexual at school."
Another victim, who was also abused at the age of 12 in 1971, said recalling the incident to police was traumatic.
"Whatever perverted justification....was purely a delusion as nothing justifies acts of this nature," he said in a victim impact statement ready by Crown prosecutor Jacob Barry.
"I believe I do not have serious emotional harm, although I have told no one of this."
'Justice and healing'
Chairman of the Dilworth Trust Board, Aaron Snodgrass, said at the time of Stephens' guilty pleas that the school hoped they were a "step towards justice and healing for his victims".
"We commend the bravery of those who came forward resulting in today's conviction.
Johnathan Stephens, 74, appeared via audio visual link at Auckland District Court. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
"On behalf of the school, we are sorry for the abuse you endured while you were at Dilworth.
"Our focus remains on supporting our community at this difficult time and in particular those Old Boys who were victims of abuse."
Snodgrass said the school continues to engage with police, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, as well as working to establish a "best practice redress programme" for Old Boys who are survivors of sexual abuse.
The programme is expected to launch this year.
Survivors warned school representatives against releasing any details relating to redress, saying it should be a survivor-led process.
Dilworth School in Epsom, Auckland is at the centre of allegations of historical sexual abuse. Photo / Dean Purcell
Stephens was one of the latest men to be charged in relation to alleged offending at the Auckland school.
He was charged along with a 39-year-old in early June, bringing the total number of men accused of historical child abuse to 11.
Three men have since died.
Police said they have spoken to more than 150 men who have made allegations of abuse relating to the school under Operation Beverly, which launched in April 2020.
A number of the accused are still moving through the court system.
Dilworth School is considering compensation for victims.
Stephens' sentencing adds to a growing list of men who have admitted to offending.
Ian Robert Wilson was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for indecently assaulting five students between 1975 and 1992 - some of them more than once and over a period of several years.
Alister Grant Harlow pleaded guilty to a string of child abuse charges last month.
Court documents reveal the assistant housemaster at Dilworth School was caught in bed spooning a young boy in 1994 and was told to leave the dormitory.
Former vicar Ross Douglas Browne admitted offending against boys from 1987 to 2004. He also admitted to possessing objectionable material in 2020.
