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The sorry saga of abuse at Christchurch's Marylands special school has been brought to a close with the decision not to proceed with the case against the last of five Catholic brothers accused of sexually abusing disabled boys there.
Father Raymond Garchow faced eight charges over the sexual abuse of boys at the school, run by the Brothers of St John of God Order, in the 1970s, but has been given his freedom after the Crown entered a stay of proceedings with the Solicitor-General when it was agreed Garchow was too ill for the case to proceed.
One of the two complainants was unwell and the second had trouble with a disability which contributed to the case being pulled, The Press reported.
It has taken six years, 125 complaints and more than $5.1 million in compensation to wrap up the investigation into abuse at the school.
Two others involved, Brother Rodger Moloney and former clergy Bernard Kevin McGrath, have been convicted on a total of 28 charges.
Moloney will be sentenced on Friday next week.
Detective Sergeant Earle Borrell, who has headed inquiries into the school since 2003, said that while the decision not to push ahead with the case against Garchow was disappointing, it was "the most appropriate outcome considering the circumstances that now exist".
He said he did not think the victims would necessarily feel justice had been done, but they could at least move on.
Counsel for Garchow, Rob Harrison, said his client maintained his innocence.
"I think anyone would be pleased to get that particular monkey off their back," Mr Harrison said.
"He is just very pleased that it's all over... I think that's the end."
Brother Timothy Graham, of the Brothers of St John of God, said there was a sense of relief "no doubt on the part of every person involved" that there was a permanent stay on the case.
He apologised again to those who had been hurt during their time at Marylands and said "the concerns raised by these matters are likely to remain with us for ever".
Ken Clearwater, of the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust, has now called on the Government to launch an inquiry into what happened at the school over the 30 years it operated.
Many the boys involved were wards of the state, so the Government had to front up, he said.
"If the Government doesn't do anything that would be wrong for all those involved."
- NZPA
