Former Gloriavale man dies in suspected suicide at West Coast hotel
A 20-year-old man who grew up in the Gloriavale community has died in a suspected suicide.
It is the third such death of a young man from the Gloriavale Christian Community since 2018.
The man, who had left the community, died at the Paroa Hotel in Greymouth at 2.30pm on Sunday.
A police spokesperson said the death was not being treated as suspicious and would be referred to the coroner.
“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on our premises on Sunday afternoon,” the hotel’s management said in a statement on Monday evening.
“Our hearts go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the individual affected.
“We’re working closely with the local authorities, and we’ll be arranging a blessing in the near future for anyone who is interested in attending.
“The wellbeing of everyone in our community is our utmost priority, and we encourage anyone who may need support to reach out to trusted friends, family, or professional services.”
The man lost three fingers while working at a Gloriavale honey company in January 2019.
WorkSafe was notified, but took no action. The man took an Employment Court case against the community but dropped it in 2022 after the judge heard allegations about “undue pressure” being put on him.
He was granted permanent name suppression by Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis.
His statement of claim says the leaders, known as shepherds, had absolute power of over where he worked, what education he received, who he would marry and what food he ate. It said he knew no other way of life and was taught to believe he would be damned for eternity if he did not obey the shepherds. It claimed he was employed by the shepherds in return for the necessities of life.
It claimed that as a boy he was instructed to work at industrial sites at Gloriavale and when he was 14 began working at the bee box manufacturing plant.
In 2019, he was cleaning wax off a moving chain at the bee box factory when his fingers were caught in it and he lost part of three fingers on his right hand.
The boy did not have access to money, was isolated, had no means of transport to leave or seek help.
It said the inaction of government officials caused him to live a life of servitude and be denied the rights of an employee, resulting in humiliation, loss of dignity, stress, mental deprivation and general harm to his wellbeing.
He left Gloriavale in 2020 and was given $1000 by the shepherds. His family remains in the community, the court heard.
His mother alleged he was pressured into bringing the claim while his lawyer said his family were pressuring him to drop the case.
A subsequent Employment Court claim by three leavers successfully proved they were employees and not volunteers when they worked in the community’s commercial businesses.
The death of another young former Gloriavale man earlier this year is being treated as a suspected suicide.
He was due to be sentenced on several charges in the Greymouth District Court.
At the time, a police spokesperson said the court case was abandoned after his death.
“Police attended a Ngahere address on 15 February where a person was located deceased. The death is not considered suspicious and has been referred to the coroner,” they said.
Meanwhile, a coroner’s report on the death of Sincere Standtrue is due to be released after an inquest was held in Greymouth earlier this year to determine the circumstances of the 20-year-old’s death, including whether it was self-inflicted.
Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital, 10 days after he was found unresponsive at Gloriavale’s paint shop in 2018, where he worked.
New Zealand has a high rate of teen suicide, at 11.8 per 100,000 for those aged 15 to 19 (20.9 per 100,000 for males and 10.5 per 100,000 for females).
The rate of suspected suicide deaths across the 20 to 24 age group in 2023-24 was even higher at 19.9 per 100,000.
New Zealand had the second highest rate among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for suicide in under 30s in 2020.
According to the Ministry of Education, 71 boys are enrolled at Gloriavale Christian School.