NZ Herald | 10 October 2021
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A group taking class action against Dilworth School for historic sexual abuse by staff says a plan to compensate survivors will not work unless the school takes responsibility for its own role in covering up the abuse.
They also say any redress action should be completely independent from the school - with those who suffered the most serious harm entitled to around $500,000 in financial compensation.
Dilworth Class Action representative, and sexual abuse survivor, Neil Harding last week told the Herald the school had told its alumni about the scheme without apologising or telling survivors first.
A redress programme would not work without Dilworth fully disclosing its role in the abuse, and apologising for failing to protect boys in its care.
"The school caused harm and traumatisation and was party to enabling, continuing and suppressing the abuse – if the school had done what it should have long ago, many of these men would not have been abused,"