Judge denies culture of violence

Justice Morris

Retired High Court Judge David Morris has dismissed allegations there was a culture of violence at the Waiouru cadet school despite the inquiry recording numerous instances of alleged abuse.

Justice Morris says some of the 81 former cadets he interviewed told him of instances of physical and sexual abuse including: nuggetting, spooning, barrelling, beatings and kicking, verbal abuse, extortion, forced showering, cigarettes burns, and beatings with brooms and rifles.

The inquiry also mentions the death of six cadets, including Grant Bain, and the alleged sexual abuse of 19 cadets.

But Justice Morris says while there was "some" bullying there was no culture of violence. He received 473 emails and letters from former cadets and people connected to the school. Of these, 215 claimed to have seen or experienced bullying, while 151 said they did not.

"I am satisfied, consciously or unconsciously, some of the descriptions given to me have been embroidered with the telling," Justice Morris said.

He also said there was little medical evidence to support the allegations.

But there are chilling recollections from former cadets.

One told Mr Morris he was sterile because of being "spooned".

"My private parts never developed because of what was - I was hit with a towel, rolled up longways, soaking wet, felt as hard as anything ..."

Another detailed a cadet running through a "gauntlet" of 70 people, each of whom punched or kicked him.

Other cadets report being burned with cigarettes, being beaten so hard they lost consciousness and had blood in their urine.

But Justice Morris says in the report that bullying is a fact of life.

"To suffer and endure it is unfortunately the lot of some."

He said that the cadets who were bullied tended not to have met hygiene standards or had "dragged the chain".

"Those bullied appear to have been generally those unable, because of size or make-up, to adequately defend themselves. I suspect a number of these cadets should never have been selected for the Army."

Whistleblower Ian Fraser, who raised the allegations of abuse at the school last year, said he was happy with Justice Morris' inquiry.

"You have to take the emotion out of it and look at it in the cold hard light of day.

"I was quite happy with Justice Morris being appointed. I think he has done a great job, he has put his own health on the line to get the job done."

Justice Morris is no stranger to controversy. In 1996 while summing up at a rape trial he said if every man stopped the first time a woman said "No", the world would be a much less exciting place.


Army abuse terms

* Nuggetting: Covering a cadet's genitals with boot polish.
* Spooning: Repeatedly hitting a cadet's genitals with a spoon or towel.
* Barrelling: Forcing a cadet to run the gauntlet of other cadets, who punch and hit him.