Open Letter | Centrepoint Restore

An Open Letter

Calling for Restorative Justice for the

Children of Centrepoint Community

Background

Centrepoint Community operated between 1977-2000, on the North Shore of Auckland. Its ideals were centred around a spiritual ethos and living communally. It eventually closed in 2000 having become mired in controversy concerning illicit drug manufacture, distribution and use, and child sexual abuse. This letter primarily relates to the sexual abuse and neglect of children, and the exposure of the young people to illicit drugs. It reflects the experiences, memories, and viewpoints of the authors and the signatories.

The experiences of adults and children in the community, spanning over two decades, were diverse. Not all children were sexually abused. Some children had happy childhoods. Not all parents or adult caregivers failed to protect the children in their care. Many adults were safe, supportive and had appropriate physical boundaries with children. Some adults went to great lengths to protect and advocate for the community's children. However, as the children at Centrepoint were raised by the whole community, the resulting outcome was that parents were at times unaware of what was going on in their children’s lives. Because of this, many children suffered neglect. Many children were encouraged to have sexual encounters from a young age. Children were routinely exposed to high levels of overt adult sexual activity. When the community was experimenting with drug-use adolescents were encouraged to consume untested, illicit and highly potent substances. They either sampled drugs themselves, or witnessed the effects of them on others, and often in conjunction with sexual activity. In addition, highly damaging social processes such as thought control, public confrontation designed to humiliate, threats of rejection, and manipulation through therapy were commonly used to control people. This potent mix of social control, parental child neglect, drug use, and hyper-sexuality set the scene for child abuse to occur.

Bishop Desmond Tutu said “Forgiving and being reconciled to our enemies or our loved ones is not about pretending that things are other than they are. It is not about patting one another on the back and turning a blind eye to the wrong. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the hurt, the truth. It could even sometimes make things worse. It is a risky undertaking but in the end it is worthwhile, because in the end only an honest confrontation with reality can bring real healing. Superficial reconciliation can bring only superficial healing.” This open letter is a call to true reconciliation and restoration.

Intended Audience of the Open Letter

This letter is addressed to all former Centrepoint adults who have an interest in open dialogue about the negative impacts of Centrepoint on many of the former children of the community. These adults may have felt uncertainty or anxiety about participating in open discussion about this issue previously.

The intended audience of this letter includes those adult members who were unaware of the abuse at the time it was occurring, those who knew it was happening but did not engage in it, and those who actively participated or enabled it yet now realise this was inappropriate.

This letter is not addressed to those adults who engaged in or enabled sexual activity with community children and continue to believe that their actions at the time were appropriate. Any person who seeks to sign this letter who has a known history of abuse will need to provide evidence that they have shown accountability for and understanding of the impact of their actions, and will be declined signing opportunity is there is no evidence of this.

This letter states a concern for the wellbeing of the children of adults who have history of abuse Centrepoint, as well as their children’s children, who may continue to be exposed to the same abuse and ideologies.

Request for Action

1. Adult Centrepoint members either endorsed, or felt unable to challenge the community values which allowed the sexual abuse and neglect of children, and the exposure of adolescents to illicit drugs. All adults in the community had an obligation to protect all of the children.

We ask that former adult community members consider their obligations towards the children of the community.

2. There is clear evidence that growing up in a highly sexualised environment and one where illicit drugs are being used and manufactured has negative consequences for adult life. Many children and young people at Centrepoint were pressured to engage in sexual activity well before they were emotionally ready, and to take drugs. Many felt coerced to engage in sexual activity with adults. In addition, many were physically and emotionally neglected and left to fend for themselves. Decades after leaving the community, many former child residents continue to struggle. Common consequences for adulthood include; feeling stigmatised and ashamed of their connection to the community, confusion about the nature of their childhood sexual experiences, addiction, mental health issues, and ongoing relational difficulties. Even if a child or young person didn’t experience sexual abuse or take drugs while at Centrepoint, the consequences of living in a highly sexualised environment and being exposed to widespread drug use are considerable. For many, these negative impacts have also directly affected the lives of their own children.

We ask for acknowledgement from former Centrepoint members of the harms caused to many of the children who lived at the community, and recognition of the resulting social, emotional and psychological difficulties many continue to experience as adults.

3. We recognise that this is an enormously complex process. We know that there are multiple barriers to resolving these issues. We acknowledge that adult members of the community themselves may have experienced extreme pressure to conform to the ideals which have caused harm to many of the children. While we understand the factors at play that have resulted in the lack of resolution, we also live with the reality that we have suffered significant harm as a result of our experiences, and we need to find a way forward.

We ask you to hear our voices. We ask you to set aside your complex feelings surrounding this issue, and acknowledge our realities.

3. Facing and acknowledging truths, particularly difficult truths, has a powerful impact on restoration and healing.

We advocate for an organised, public*, and collective response by former members to acknowledge and address the past which damaged the children of the community. We ask that you work with us to find ways to enable healing and restoration of the history.

*Public here does not mean "in the public eye" as many have assumed. It means transparent and open (as compared to secret, private or closed).

We, the undersigned, have a history of close connection to the Centrepoint Community. We either lived there as adults, or lived there or visited as children. We support the assertions and the intentions of this letter. * Indicates a pseudonym has been used. The identity of the signatory is known to the authors of the letter.

Dr Caroline Ansley, child resident, 1983 (author)
Rachel King (Ella James), child resident, 1987-1991 (author)
Dr Kate Rowntree, child resident, 1977-1982 (author)
Renée Meiklejohn, child resident, 1985-1991
Mike Rowntree, child visitor, 1977-1981
Jemila North*, child resident, 1977-1983
Maggie Murray*, child resident, 1986-1991
Simon Horrocks, adult member, 1980-1991
Christine Hughes, child visitor, 1980-1982
Bonnie Meiklejohn, child resident, 1985-1991
Louise Winn, child resident, 1977-1982
Susie Spiller, child resident, 1980-1981
Jo Francis (nee Benjamin), child resident, 1987-1991, child visitor 1985-1987
Nate O’Callaghan, child resident, 1986-1998
Suzie Harrison*, child visitor 1978-1989, child resident, 1989 -1990
Angie Meiklejohn, child resident, 1985-1991
Gina Adamson*, resident, 1985-1990
Anne Hurst, adult visitor and resident, 1990-1998
Claire Grace*, child visitor, 1977-1998
Steven Jones*, child resident, 1979-1983
Jesse van Noorden, child resident 1987-1997
Susan Moore-Jones, adult resident 1979-1983
Stacey, child visitor, 1989-1990
Jade Bell, child resident 1993 and 1996-1998, child visitor 1988-2000
Norman (Narayan) Kozeluh, adult member, 1977-1983
Katie Williams*, child resident, 1984-1992
John Fettes, adult resident, 1980-82 & 1988-91
Sarah (Murray) Kelliher, child resident, 1977-1981
Melissa Bucheler, child visitor, teenage resident 1981-1993
Rebecca Sheat (nee Lane), child resident, 1991-2000
Simon Murray, child and teen resident, 1977-1981
Sarnie Foley-Albutu, child visitor, 1978-1988
Monique Armstrong (nee Rijkaart), child visitor, 1978-1981
Dennis O'Callaghan, adult visitor, then member, 1987-1993
Willow Rowntree, child resident, 1977-1982
Waveney Grace-Thode, adult member, 1977 - 1986
John Thode, adult resident/visitor, 1985
Laila Lambert, child resident, 1983
Edward J, child resident, 1987-1995
Jacob Oakes, child resident
Luke Elworthy, child visitor, 1977-82
M Johnston, child resident, 1981 - 1991
Nicola Jackson, child visitor, 1978-1982
Pamela Milliken, child resident, 1987
Karlos Meiklejohn, teen resident, 1985-1991
Larissa R, child visitor, 1993-2001
Agnes Borrmann, adult member, 1988 -1999
Zoe Stonex, child resident, 1996-1999
Lilli Borrmann, child resident, 1988-1999
Ruth Oakes, child resident, 1986-1991
Ben Ball, child resident, 1985-1987
Karen Tapper, adult member, 1983-1990, 1997
Eleanor Jones*, child visitor, early 1980s
Kathryn Tait, adult resident, 1978-1
Ember Parkin, child resident, 1984

We, the undersigned, have a history of close connection to the Centrepoint Community. We are the very close family members of children who lived at the community. We support the assertions and the intentions of this letter.