The first recorded case was in 1900. Allegations of cruelty toward children residing at the Stoke Industrial School,
(also known as St Mary's Orphanage) instigated a Royal Commission and
the eventual prosecution of two Marist Brothers. Edouard Forrier, (
Brother Wybertus) was charged with five counts of common assault and
five counts of indecent assault. The alleged incidents occurred between
September 5, 1893 and June 1, 1897. [1]
Marist Father Alan Woodcock, abused children at St John's College in Hastings, St Patrick's College in Upper Hutt, Highden in the Manawatu and Futuna in Wellington. After Woodcock left the Marist Priesthood
and left New Zealand to live in England, he was extradited back to New
Zealand and convicted of 21 sex offences committed between 1978 and
1987. The abuse continued despite the knowledge of Father Michael
Curtain and Father Fred Bliss.[2] Tracking him down abroad was done with the assistance of the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth.[3]
