Mother plans complaint against sex teacher

James Parker abused boys. Photo / TVNZ

The mother of a victim of Northland paedophile James Parker plans to lodge a complaint against Child Youth and Family over their handling of the case.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect her son's identity, said her son was 11 when Parker "groomed" and abused him in 2009. CYF had spoken to her son and other boys at the time, but she said it was "poorly executed", and the boys then said they'd been lying.

Parker was deputy principal of Pamapuria School near Kaitaia, which the boy attended. This week Parker, 37, admitted 49 counts of sexually abusing pupils, including the Kaitaia mother's son. Police expect more to come forward.

The mother said another child had raised the alarm in 2009, causing CYF to visit her home.

"They turned up at my doorstep demanding that my son have an evidential video interview."

She was told two of her sons had been "groomed" but not told by whom.

TheCYF woman's manner was so "insensitive" that she asked her to leave.

"The next person that came, I was willing to let them talk to my son. By then two days had gone by, the kids had been to school and they'd changed their minds."

The mother believes if CYF had acted differently they could have stopped Parker abusing again. She is preparing to make an official complaint.

"It wasn't executed properly. They're saying there wasn't enough evidence there at the time. I blame CYF. I'm really angry."

In hindsight the mother recognised signs of abuse in her son.

"He was aggressive, horrible and hard to be around. He was terrible at school for the last year and a half, and we never picked up on it," she said.

She said her sons had stayed nights on mattresses in the lounge at Parker's farm which was a "really nice place" with cows, sheep, goats and birds.

Her son had cried watching Parker's court appearance on TV, and felt guilty for getting a man he'd known his whole life into trouble.

Despite Pamapuria principal Stephen Hovell having been warned about Parker three years ago, the mother did not hold him responsible.