Woman Abused by Anglican Minister Hopes Her 15-year Battle for Redress Is Finally over
By Morgane Solignac
A Blenheim woman who was told the sexual harassment she suffered at the hands of a minister was “pretty low” has called for an independent body to handle abuse claims in New Zealand. Jacinda Thompson told the Royal Commission, in Auckland, this week about her 15-year battle for redress after being abused by Anglican minister Reverend Michael Van Wijk. Thompson had turned to Van Wijk, and the Church of the Nativity in Blenheim, in 2005 for support after the death of a child. Thompson last month applied to the Human Rights Review Tribunal to have her name suppression lifted ahead of giving evidence to the commission’s Abuse in Care Inquiry on Monday. The Government expanded the abuse inquiry to churches and faith-based institutions in 2018. Commissioners heard witnesses from three separate cases this week. “It was quite a nerve-racking experience because this is the first time I have lifted my name suppression so that was a bit daunting but it is not like being cross-examined, the commission is really [there] to hear your experience. They are very professional and listened really well,” Thompson told Stuff after the hearing. She gave evidence of trying to obtain redress through the Anglican Church, police, civil proceedings, the Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Review Tribunal. The royal commission will then make recommendations to Government. Thompson went to the hearing in Auckland with her husband Aaron Thompson. He said it had been a “long hard road”, and people probably underestimated how much courage it took to “reveal so much privacy in public and come up against big institutions like [the] Church”. “I am so proud of my wife, she is intelligent, a great speaker and a deep thinker. Hopefully, what she has done will help other people.” Thompson, 46, said New Zealand needed an independent entity for people who had been abused. The time spent trying to obtain redress had been exhausting, she said. “Churches often can't be sued because they claim they are not a legal entity, and they also claim their priests are employed by God ... When it happened, the church's response was terrible. I have been told my abuse was pretty low and then I have been warned to keep it secret. After that I left church, I was just a wreck,” Thompson said. In 2014, Thompson was board chairwoman at a Catholic school when parish priest Aidan Kay was charged with indecent assault. Seeing the church system failing again, Thompson felt a moral obligation to tell her story again and went to police. Kay was later discharged without conviction. “I was shocked. I did not even meet the detective who was investigating my case. I asked for a copy of my file ... and it was full of errors, they did not even contact the church that I made my complaint to.” Determined to find another way, Thompson made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission in 2016. She was still waiting for a hearing date with the Human Rights Review Tribunal. “The institutions that are supposed to stand for honesty and fairness are the ones failing and the commission and all the people working with it are the ones bringing the truth out and making sure some change happens and people are treated fairly.” Jacinda and Aaron Thompson were hoping to see changes made in churches. “They need to take a long hard look at what they stand for and who they claim to represent,” said Aaron Thompson, who was still angry and had not reconciled with the church, whereas his wife had after the Anglican Church apologised. Bishop of Nelson Steve Maina, who made the apology and a settlement agreement with Thompson, said they were co-operating fully with the commission as they did their investigations. “We look forward to their recommendations in terms of how we can improve our processes, and we have already started to work on it,” Maina said. In his apology, which is online, Maina said the church regretted that it attempted to minimise and excuse van Wijk’s behaviour, considering it had received another complaint about him, towards another parishioner. “Our failures have caused the complainant additional hurt and prolonged her suffering over a period of many years. For this we are truly sorry,” the apology said. Despite still waiting on the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Thompson said the “hard stuff” was over for her. “I should not be required to appear in a hearing again ... hopefully,” Thompson said.
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