Apart from the Locke Foundation, the rest of the New Zealand Christian right isn't dealing with 'Capillgate' at all. The Maxim Institute and Right to Life New Zealand are both based in Christchurch, as was Graham Capill. The Institute's Bruce Logan was a Christian Coalition party list candidate at the 1996 New Zealand General Election, and the Institute is based at Middleton Grange, where Graham's dad, Don, was Vice-Principal for most of the seventies, and Graham himself was an ex-pupil. Right to Life New Zealand had Capill as a (former?) patron, and enthusiastically backed the CHP after the schism that created their own Christchurch-based organisation. Challenge Weekly didn't include any comment about the transgressions of its one-time enthusiastic contributor, although the story probably arrived after an editorial deadline. As for us, it might be tempting to gloat over this, but there's a serious question that arises about the welfare of the eight-year old girl at the centre of this case. It is relatively fortunate that this occurred within an Anglican congregation, where there is a strong emphasis on psychotherapeutic credentials and techniques within its pastoral care programmes. At least the child was believed when she disclosed her abuse at Capill's hands, and Capill's ex-minister did his duty and disclosed the story to the police immediately. However, the Anglican Church isn't a wholly fundamentalist institution. Are fundamentalist churches themselves able to resort to set procedures and protocols that are victim-centred, in cases of abuse? If Capill had attended a fundamentalist church would the same comprehension of the seriousness of the offence have been there? Would there have been avenues for reprimand and apprehension of Capill within that context? Would the abused child be validated, supported and enabled to heal from that traumatic event? Sorry, but with a single exception, the rest of the Christian Right is going to have to stop raving about 'lesbian' 'feminist' 'antifamily' elements within child abuse prevention circles, and open up, otherwise they risk being seen as a 'soft touch' for covert paedophile activity. Craig Young - 9th April 2005