Former army commander owns up to Waiouru 'secrets'

The old army cadet barracks on the army base at Waiouru. The barrack named 'Galatos' is where Grant Bain was shot in 1981. Herald picture / Greg Bowker

A former company commander at the Waiouru regular force cadet school said today there was a culture of bullying and secrecy at the camp, despite the findings of an independent inquiry.

Timothy Rabbidge was in charge of the school in 1981, when Grant Bain, 17, was shot dead by Cadet Corporal Andrew Read.

The inquiry into a number of allegations of abuse at the school between 1948 and 1991, by former High Court Judge David Morris, found that were cases of bullying and in some instances serious sexual assaults, but there was no culture of violence.

"There was, there definitely was," Mr Rabbidge told National Radio.

There was "an awful lot of bullying" that went on, but he was powerless to prevent it, he said.

He did his "utmost" to try and stop it, but "could not be everywhere, all the time".

When he arrived at the cadet school, he said he was not scared of the cadets but was "horrified" by what went on.

Mr Rabbidge said he would often patrol the barracks until 10pm or later but the incidents would always take place away from where he was patrolling.

"It was a culture of secrecy and it was a culture of bullying," he said.

Defence Force Chief Air Marshall Bruce Ferguson said yesterday that the investigation had largely exonerated the Army for decisions made at the time of Mr Bain's death.

But he acknowledged that words would "never be sufficient to alleviate the grief felt by Cadet Bain's family".

Judge Morris found that Read, who died in 1998, should have been charged with manslaughter at the time of Mr Bain's death, not the lesser charge of careless use of a firearm.

However, Mr Rabbidge said Mr Bain's death should never have happened.

The Government yesterday issued a formal apology to Mr Bain's family. They had sought an apology and compensation for many years.

Defence Minister Phil Goff said he deeply regretted it had taken so long to investigate the shooting.

"I wasn't even in Parliament but mistakes were made and I apologise formally, on behalf of the Government generally, for that," he said on TV One.

"That is an absolute apology."

Meanwhile, Ian Fraser, the former cadet whose revelations sparked the inquiry, said today he was pleased that he spoke out and was "humbled" by the response.

Mr Fraser, who now lives in Perth, said abuse at the school was widespread and included beatings and sodomy which led, in some cases, to suicide.

The inquiry confirmed that the abuse included cadets being beaten, scrubbed naked with yardbrushes, having their genitals covered in boot polish, and some having their testicles beaten with spoons.

Mr Fraser was "shocked and amazed and really pleased" to hear Mr Goff's apology yesterday.

The apology was an acknowledgement of what he and many of his former army colleagues had been through and they could now move on, he told National Radio.

The abusive behaviour "waxed and waned" at the camp, depending on who was in charge at the time, Mr Fraser said.

At times the abusive behaviour was allowed to flourish.

However, levels of supervision at the cadet school were questionable at the very least, he said.

"As Justice Morris rightly pointed out, you're teaching these kids how to kill during the daytime and then expecting them to discipline themselves out of hours.

"It was a recipe for disaster in many respects."

Mr Fraser said many of those who were abused either did not complain at the time, or were persuaded by superiors not to pursue a complaint.

A "code of silence" still existed among many of those involved, he said.

However, he said he was aware this week of at least one complaint being filed as a potential civil case against the Army, and one or two sexual abuse complaints being laid with police.

Justice Morris' suggestion of setting up a confidential mediation service where former cadets and the Army could work out a resolution without incurring the cost of civil litigation was "a very positive" move, Mr Fraser said.

- NZPA