The author of the book, Darryl Smith says he was subject to abuse on his first night at Marylands – a Christchurch school for children with learning difficulties – in 1971.
Woken from his sleep, the 6-year-old was called to an Order of St John of God brother’s office late in the evening and told one of the men responsible for his care wanted to speak about his grandmother. Instead, the man raped him.
The abuse continued over the course of a year and came from other members of the order and older students, Smith said. He eventually told his parents what happened. Continue reading