Crown knew details of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s sex crimes in mid-90s, lawyer tells Employment Court: RNZ

By Jean Edwards | RNZ |

The Crown had detailed knowledge of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s crimes in the mid-1990s but “dropped the ball” by failing to help the community deal with sexual abuse, the Employment Court has heard.

Two Court of Appeal judgments tendered in a case brought by six former Gloriavale women describe how Christian was said to have used his dominance to sexually exploit young followers and had no capacity to accept responsibility for his offending and reform.

Christian – formerly known as Neville Cooper – was sentenced to five years in prison in December 1995, on three charges of indecent assault for inserting a wooden dildo inside a 19-year-old woman over three successive days.

He was initially sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault against five young complainants in the 1980s but won an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

The Crown decided only to proceed on the three indecent assault charges, on which Christian was convicted in a second jury trial.

Further reading: Crown knew details of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s sex crimes in mid-90s, lawyer tells Employment Court