Initially, it cited "high numbers of applicants". Later it changed its explanation and said the boy wasn't offered a place because he was not Catholic enough. Read more

Peter Boshier said the school had "failed to ensure the student was safe."

He called the Board of Trustees' response to the complaint Siobhan Harvey made about the bullying of her son "unreasonable".

Boshier recommended the Board of Trustees apologise to Harvey for the way the school handled the complaint.

And he called on them to review the school's harassment and bullying policies.

He was highly critical of an "independent review" into Harvey's complaint against the school.

The review had an anonymous author, was not signed or dated and did not inform parents or seek their input.

The Board of Trustees accepted the findings of the "independent review" and reported to Harvey they were "comfortable" with the way the college acted.

The ombudsman said it was regrettable that this is the third complaint that the office has dealt with in recent times.

"There appears to have been a failure by the college to deal effectively with this behaviour, with the result that it has taken a toll on the health of a student."

On Friday evening the new principal of Sacred Heart College, Stephen Dooley, admitted: "the situation in 2016 was not well-handled".

"We can reassure our school community that new initiatives will continue to be implemented to develop a much stronger and caring college."

He said a raft of changes had been introduced since 2016, including updated and clearly defined procedures for reporting, documenting and managing student and parent concerns.

He said there was now a network of support structures in place to ensure students felt they were learning in a safe environment.

"A more prominent emphasis is placed on anti-bullying messages, and creating more channels for students to report incidents of concern," he said.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• Image: rnz.co.nz

Some criminals have received large compensation payments for violation of their human rights. The Prisoners' and Victims' Claims (Continuation and Reform) Amendment Bill will make permanent earlier temporary legislation which allowed victims of crime to seek a share of any compensation prisoners may have received.

"I think that part of the bill is arguably in breach of human rights law," Wakem told Parliament's justice select committee on Thursday 22 February.

She said it would be better to focus on a better compensation scheme for victims generally.

Wakem says the proposed legislation "sends a message to prisoners that, really, the justice system in New Zealand is retributive, an eye-for-an-eye, a tooth-for-a-tooth, and I'm on my own mate."

That left little incentive for prisoners to participate in rehabilitation in prison or on release.

Then those un-rehabilitated prisoners were returned to the community, Wakem said.

In 2011 the Dominion Post reported six figure compensation payouts to five prisoners who were held at Auckland's Paremoremo prison.

At the time Human rights lawyer Tony Ellis said he was seeking compensation in the Auckland High Court for a further 72 criminals who were subjected to inhumane treatment by Auckland prison staff between 1998 and 2004, and estimated more than 100 others could still claim.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Scoop
• Auckland Now
• Image: The National