The second man to admit historical sexual offending in connection to Auckland’s Dilworth School has been sentenced to six months two weeks home detention.
Graeme Lindsay, 71, committed sex crimes against two boy, under the age of 16 on Scouts trips he organised in the 1970s.
In what the judge described as “somewhat unusual”, the defendant appeared at the High Court in Auckland via video link from Levin.
Justice Wylie told the court he allowed the AVL appearance following a note from Lindsay’s doctor, regarding his medical condition.
Excerpts of statements from the two victims of Graeme Lindsay were read to the court as he was sentenced to home detention for his sex crimes. (Source: Other)
The 71-year-old’s victims were not present for the sentencing, but Crown prosecutor Jacob Barry read statements from them.
The first victim was 12 when he was abused.
He’d been on an overnight camp to Rangitoto Island with the Dilworth Scout group. Lindsay indecently assaulted him in the middle of the night.
The now 59-year-old’s statement said, “I spent years suffering in silence”.
Until the police put out a media release about Operation Beverly last year, he’d told no one of the abuse he suffered, not even his wife.
“I’m still traumatised about the evening on Rangitoto Island… it makes me feel dirty and disgusting to this day.”
The second victim was also aged between 12 to 13 when he was assaulted.
His statement detailed how “deeply impressionable” he’d been as a young Scouts member.
Between 1974 and 1975, he attended a kayaking trip to Rangitoto Island, led by Lindsay.
After a swim at the beach, the pair ended up alone and Lindsay led the victim into some bush.
That’s where the offending occurred.
“What occurred was a deep shock. I had zero concept of sexual activity, all I knew was a figure I looked up to and trusted was doing something to me I didn’t understand”.
He described the “sense of shame” he felt.
“It has sat in my mind all my life. For much of the time I have simply tried to suppress it."
“Ultimately we blindly trusted the Scout leaders… now I think we were in an environment of calculated grooming."
“It has taken nearly a lifetime of personal courage to talk to police,” his statement read.
A pre-sentencing report described Lindsay as “entitled, self-important and supercilious”.
The author also wrote he displayed little remorse or empathy for his victims.
The report found there was a low risk of him re-offending, but recommended imprisonment.
But the court also heard that clinical psychologist deemed a jail sentence to be unnecessary.
Lindsay is one of 11 men that have been charged as part of the police investigation Operation Beverly.
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