CANTERBURY (AUSTRALIA)
Radio New Zealand - RNZ [Wellington, New Zealand]
March 26, 2026
By RNZ
Former Anglican priest Jonathan Kirkpatrick can now be revealed as the man who sexually violated a teenager at his Canterbury bach more than 30 years ago.
The 68-year-old was found guilty last week of violating the victim when the teenager was so intoxicated he thought he might have been drugged.
Kirkpatrick’s name remained secret after the trial as his lawyer indicated he might seek permanent suppression.
However, the interim order expired at 4pm Thursday without an application for permanent name suppression.
At the time of the offending, Kirkpatrick was the vicar at St Michael and All Angels in Christchurch.
He would later go on to be dean at St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin for five years until 2001.
Kirkpatrick was jailed for more than three years in 2011 for stealing more than $665,000 from Auckland University of Technology, where he had worked as chief executive of its Business Innovation Centre.
He remains in custody before sentencing for the sexual assault.
A jury unanimously found him guilty last Friday after a week-long trial.
The victim, who was about 18 at the time of the attack, told the jury that when he was a teenager he would regularly meet with Kirkpatrick after school to smoke marijuana at his house.
The victim knew Kirkpatrick was gay but had no concerns his motivations were sexual until the night of the attack.
The pair drank alcohol and smoked cannabis at Kirkpatrick’s bach in Lake Coleridge on the night of the attack.
The younger man said he became so intoxicated he was put to bed by Kirkpatrick, but woke to find the then-priest violating him.
The victim did not report the assault to police until 2020.
Prosecutor Penny Brown said by that time the man’s life had derailed and he was due to be sentenced for serious offending of his own.
The victim said he had decided to report the assault after he encountered people in prison who had also been abused and had benefited from talking to others.
– RNZ
MALE SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVORS
Where to get help:
If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
• If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on 0800 044 334 or text 4334. (available 24/7)
• Male Survivors Aotearoa offers a range of confidential support at centres across New Zealand – find your closest one here.
• Men and Trauma New Zealand: 0800 636 263
• Survivor Experiences Service: 0800 456 090 (8:30am – 4:30pm Monday – Friday) or text 8328. This service is for people abused in state, faith-based, or other forms of care.
• Alternatively contact your local police station – click here for a list.
If you have been abused, remember it’s not your fault.