Silipa Take Clients the New Zealand AIDS Foundation who were victims of sexual advances by one of its counsellors were not initially identified or offered support because the original complainant asked the organisation not to approach any other clients, according to those then heading the NZAF. Former NZAF counsellor Silipa Take is to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to indecent assault. The charges, laid in October 2012, arise from claims which first surfaced in 2009 when he worked as a counsellor for the Foundation in its Awhina Centre in Wellington. After the allegation first emerged Take was asked by the NZAF to resign and he did so immediately. However, NZAF management at the time did not attempt to contact any of Take's other vulnerable HIV- and sexuality-related clients to ascertain if they had been similarly affected and if they needed support or guidance. This has since been done, over two years later, following a subsequent complaint and the launching of a police investigation. A number of other victims were identified. The current NZAF head has apologised on behalf of the organisation that it did not act immediately. Mark Henrickson Former Board Chair Mark Henrickson, former Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier and former Director of Health Services Eamonn Smythe have supplied a joint statement to GayNZ.com Daily News, saying they followed policy, took and acted on the advice of police, the employee's union, the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and their employment lawyer. Rachael Le Mesurier “The Board chair was kept informed throughout the process, and the matter was tabled confidentially at a full Board meeting,” the trio says. “The [complainant] informed staff at the time that he did not wish any further action, and specifically that he did not wish staff to contact any other clients on the basis of his case.” They say they were told by the New Zealand Association of Counsellors it was itself unable to pursue the matter further without a formal complaint via the police. “The employee left NZAF within 48 hours of staff receiving and following up the complaint.” Henrickson says trust boards do not involve themselves in day to day operational matters. “It was and is always the role of the NZAF Trust Board to protect the interests of the Foundation, including its clients, staff and stakeholders,” he says. “I have full confidence in the way this very unfortunate matter was managed, with the information and advice that was available at the time.” Henrickson says beyond this statement, which was supplied in response to questions from GayNZ.com Daily News, it is "not useful" to comment further “because of the passage of time and distance from key documentation”.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 17th April 2014 - 1:31pm