KEY POINTS:
A High Court jury has heard evidence about the "pastoral gesture" process carried out by the Order of St John of God, in which boys alleging sexual abuse at Marylands School in Christchurch were interviewed and received nearly $15 million from the Catholic Church.
The process itself has been raised during the three-week trial of the former prior of the order at Marylands, Rodger William Moloney, 71, who denies 28 charges of sexual abuse of boys at the school in the 1970s.
Michelle Mulvihill, an Australian psychologist whom the order employed as an adviser and complaints manager when the abuse claims arose, gave evidence before Justice Graham Panckhurst and the jury on the seventh day of the trial, Christchurch Court News website reports.
She was asked about the amount she had been paid for her work for the order over a seven-year period. She gave figures, which had been said early in the trial to add up to nearly $1 million.
Figures were also put to her by defence lawyer Greg King showing that the order had paid $11.9 million to abuse victims in Australia from 1995 to 2007, and more than $3 million to New Zealand victims from 2003-07.
Miss Mulvihill said she had been present during meetings in 2002 between complainants and the then head of the order in Australasia, Brother Peter Burke. She described Brother Burke as "a man of enormous compassion and hospitality".
She had also helped Brother Burke with follow-up letters which were worded sympathetically, apologising and telling the complainants what would happen next.
She recalled one occasion, in dealing with a crying and traumatised complainant who could not remember things, when Brother Burke had pulled out a booklet of photographs of brothers at Marylands School.
She had advised him afterwards that it was not a wise thing to do, because of the risk of leading witnesses or complainants.
Crown prosecutor Kerryn Beaton asked: "Do you recall occasions when the names of brothers were said by Peter Burke in a way that suggested that they were offenders against the person whom you were meeting?"
Miss Mulvihill: "No." She said there were occasions when the complainants being interviewed were terrified, and "frozen", and Brother Burke would make up names "to get the recall process going".
She told of many of the complainants being sent a cheque for $1500 at Christmas 2002.
"Brother Peter had just met 60 or 70 people who were in pain, and many of them were very poor. It was a gesture at Christmas time, to be a message to the complainants that they would not be forgotten. Some of these people hadn't had Christmas for years."
In cross-examination, references in the order's documents were pointed out to her about some complainants looking at photographs during the interviews.
She said she could not recall the complainants being shown photographs of the brothers, but some complainants had brought along their own photographs or albums to the interviews.
She said rather than simply making pastoral payments, the order had also promised a life-long relationship with the complainants if they had continuing needs.
"For some of them it is not about the money. It is about hospitality and the gross lack of hospitality that was shown to them as children, according to their accounts."
She said Brother Burke had not challenged the accounts given to him in the interviews. He had acted respectfully towards people who were traumatised and upset.
She acknowledged one man had received a $101,780 pastoral payment by making false allegations of abuse.
All 10 complainants involved in the trial have now given their evidence. The Crown is expected to close its case today.
- NZPA
