The charges spanned more than 20 years and were described by Judge Raoul Neave as \u201cexcruciating\u201d for the victims. <\/p>\n
Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple in court at his sentencing for decades of sex abuse. Photo \/ Joe Allison<\/p>\n
Defence lawyer Michael Vesty confirmed to the Herald later in the day that an appeal on the sentence had been lodged, and his client had been released on bail.<\/p>\n
His bailing came during a closed-door hearing in court.<\/p>\n
Four of Temple\u2019s six victims shared victim impact statements in court today. <\/p>\n
Three of the women read their statements aloud. A fourth was read by a Victim Support advisor.<\/p>\n
The first became emotional as she spoke directly to Temple. He sat and listened intently with his hands crossed on his lap. <\/p>\n
\u201cHoward was a leader of the community all of my life … he held a place nearly God in our society – he could bind and loosen me from hell,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoward took advantage of his position … I don\u2019t think you, Howard, have any idea of what you took from me \u2026 You used your power over me to exert your sexual wants and needs. <\/p>\n
\u201cYour sexual desires came above what was right, and you allowed yourself to take what wasn\u2019t yours \u2026 I had no choice in the situation – that choice was all yours. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou abused my trust. You were not a servant of God. You were using the name of God to cover your sins\u2026 I grew up thinking I was the problem, a habitual thought that still reoccurs today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman said she felt \u201csick and tense\u201d when she remembered how she felt when Temple would put his hands on her. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to pull away. I wanted to scream, but I would be in trouble if I did. That was your power over me – I was always wrong \u2026 Who was I to say no to you? <\/p>\n
\u201cI knew my family could suffer if I rejected you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she had been condemned by siblings and other family members for speaking out against Temple. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole my innocence \u2026 I know I lost my childhood.<\/p>\n
Gloriavale Christian Community located at Haupiri on the West Coast of the South Island. Photo \/ George Heard<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I had days where I didn\u2019t have tummy issues and headaches, where I could sleep without unwanted dreams. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I didn\u2019t have the feeling I needed to stay home, away from everyone and anyone \u2026 I wish I didn\u2019t cry so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy life experience has taught me not to trust anybody \u2026 I question everything, every intention, every action, word, and body language. It is so exhausting. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s taken me years to realise trust isn\u2019t supposed to feel dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the abuse had deeply impacted her marriage. <\/p>\n
\u201cI expect my husband to treat me badly, and when he never does, I almost provoke him to.\u201d <\/p>\n
At trial, she was \u201cgrilled for hours with narrow-minded questions\u201d about her personal life. which she found \u201cfrustrating and distressing\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll to try and find an excuse for this man,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was assaulted over and over with questions and statements that tried to make me look like I was the offender. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also triggering when the same man who had the power to do that to you once before is now sitting in front of you in the courtroom trying to make me look like I was the one in the wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said recovering from the trial was \u201ca process in itself\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wonder if you understand the long-lasting effects of the damage you have caused so many of us,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want the court to understand the fear I had in speaking up, the impact I knew it would have on my family still inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman said the impact of Temple\u2019s offending was \u201cimmense and far-reaching\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you did didn\u2019t end when the abuse stopped – it changed the way I see myself, the way I trust, the way I move through the world. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf any accountability you now face means even one child is spared the abuse that I endured, then at least I feel like some good may come from me speaking out and finally exposing the truth. <\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot undo what happened to me, but I can make sure it is no longer hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Home was unsafe for me <\/p>\n
The next woman explained at length how Temple\u2019s abuse impacted her every day – from her mental health and emotional well-being to her finances.<\/p>\n
It took her many years to speak up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the power he held over me, he wore my boundaries down, and my instincts became clouded,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result, I was unable to defend myself or to speak up in situations where I should have been protected. <\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up in this environment, I learned from a young age to silence my instinct and to prioritise obedience. This made it difficult to recognise harmful behaviour and even harder to speak up. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese conditions meant that when [Temple] misused his authority, I was especially vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
She described Temple abusing her when she was 9.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn many occasions, while I was pouring drinks, Howard would reach around and put his arm around my waist, and around my bottom and lower back, up and down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a young age, I knew that something wasn\u2019t right. I would feel sick in my stomach, and my anxiety would kick in each time I saw my name lost in serving Howard Temple his morning drinks. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen this behaviour occurred, I did not have the tools, support, or the freedom to challenge what was happening to me. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis has meant that the impacts of Howard\u2019s behaviour on me have been intense and long-lasting. The harm and trauma caused by Howard\u2019s behaviours towards me continues to follow me into everyday moments – It shows up in the most ordinary parts of my day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman said she experienced panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares and \u201cconstant concern\u201d about her health. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe trauma has created moments of distance, hesitation, and difficulty trusting and intimacy or closeness \u2026 I find myself second-guessing my feelings, doubting my reasoning and questioning whether I have the right to say \u2018this feels wrong\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of the most painful and long-lasting impacts of the abuse I have experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman said she was \u201cslowly rebuilding\u201d parts of herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy anger towards him and his actions fueled me to move forward with courage, clarity, and restore and protect my mana.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unsafe and resentful <\/p>\n
The third woman was abused by Temple throughout her late teens and early 20s, leading her to feel \u201cvery unsafe and resentful\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoward Temple used to make his rounds in the kitchen, and I would hide in either the dairy products room or the tiller, so that he would be unable to find and hug me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time he hugged me or hit my backside, I would shudder inside, feeling sick and uneasy\u2026I wish that I had used my voice at the time and said, \u2018please do not hug me like that\u2019 or \u2018no, you cannot touch me\u2019 … but I was often in trouble with the leaders and the constant judgment from you, Howard, and other leaders made me doubt myself. <\/p>\n
\u201cI felt powerless as I could not speak about my thoughts and concerns – and I had no one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now a mother herself, she firmly understands what Temple did was \u201cunacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBehaviours like this are not tolerated in my family, and I will continue to do all I can to protect others in preventing situations like this occurring again – and ensuring that their voices are heard,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple. Photo \/ Joe Allison<\/p>\n
\u201cHoward, I do pray that you will listen to the truth, as the truth will set you free, and I hope that you will take accountability for your actions. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have not meant to hurt you in any way, but I\u2019ve only spoken the truth of my experiences all those years ago. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a man in your position, I pray that you will not repeat these actions again if they are wrong and harmful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fourth woman said her statement was incredibly difficult to write as she \u201cdid not want to feel vulnerable again\u201d.<\/p>\n
She spoke of suffering depression and feeling unsafe around men which made it hard for her to find and keep work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been many days when I have been unable to face the day,\u201d the advisor read.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimply leaving the house feels scary\u2026 I am scared of enjoying something. I worry that if I enjoy something, something bad will happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel unable to walk alone\u2026 my self-expression has been heavily impacted. Until a month ago, wearing a skirt felt unsafe; it made me think of the harassment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still find it hard to say \u2018no\u2019 and set healthy boundaries. I struggle to look a man in the eye.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she felt \u201cdifferent, strange and self-conscious\u201d and had nightmares \u201cevery night\u201d, which meant she barely slept. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents and family inside [Gloriavale] are undoubtedly being told I am evil for persecuting the leader of their community,\u201d the advisor read.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has impacted my faith and beliefs, and I am struggling to work it all out\u2026 it has made me question everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Offending \u2018premeditated\u2019 <\/p>\n
Judge Neave heard submissions from both the Crown and defence about the sentence Temple should receive. <\/p>\n
Crown prosecutor Kerry White said Temple\u2019s offending was premeditated – and continued even after a warning from police. <\/p>\n
She said his offending \u201cpersisted\u201d for many years.<\/p>\n
At Temple\u2019s trial, she revealed that police spoke to him in 2018 and \u201corally warned him about the unwanted and uninvited touching\u201d.<\/p>\n
At the time, police knew two of the victims had made formal statements. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo he was warned and subsequent to that, he\u2019s continued with the offending against the two younger victims in this case,\u201d said White. <\/p>\n
Gloriavale leader Howard Temple initially denied the offending. Photo \/ George Heard<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s continued despite being told clearly by the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd in my submission – and certainly after listening to these victim impact statements – these victims were particularly vulnerable, not just because of their age, but because of the environment they were being brought up in.\u201d<\/p>\n
White said that as the head of the Gloriavale community, he was \u201ceffectively the person next to God – and their gateway to heaven\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were, in my submission, particularly vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Neave agreed with White that Temple appeared to have \u201can utter lack of awareness\u201d of the effects of his behaviour and the autonomy of his victims. <\/p>\n
Defence sought home detention<\/p>\n
Vesty sought a term of home detention for Temple.<\/p>\n
He said he would not be seeking any discount for Temple\u2019s good character outside his offending, given the span of time he abused the victims. <\/p>\n
He said Temple had had a \u201csignificant amount of time to reflect\u201d on his offending. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the victims and their families are people that he and his family are deeply connected with – so he\u2019s had the opportunity to reflect on his behaviour and the way in which that has not only affected the victims, but how the ripples have affected many others – not just within the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He accepted Temple had admitted a raft of charges and the Judge had to denounce and deter him – and others – from future offending. <\/p>\n
However, he asked the court to consider that Temple was now an elderly man \u201cof diminishing physical and cognitive health\u201d when passing down a sentence. <\/p>\n
He accepted that Temple\u2019s position in the community made his offending worse and that there was a \u201csevere power imbalance\u201d.<\/p>\n
But he refuted suggestions that the abuse was premeditated. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was Mr Temple who initiated the physical contact – that was always the case. It\u2019s accepted too that the victims had a real inability to act following the offending,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s accepted that, given the situation they were in, they couldn\u2019t easily tell family; they couldn\u2019t easily confront Mr Temple, and they would have been acutely aware of the perceived repercussions of speaking out. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s accepted too that there\u2019s a scale to this offending \u2026 the time period over which it has happened – the word I would use to describe it is perhaps it was habitual\u2026 and the victims would have also had the trepidation of it happening again on their mind, which I accept is an aggravating feature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Neave said: \u201cAs a shepherd \u2026 this is not how you look after your flock.”<\/p>\n
The Gloriavale Christian Community is a small and isolated Christian community located at Haupiri on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand, and it has an estimated population of over 600. Photo \/ George Heard <\/p>\n
Vesty said Temple had \u201cclosely read\u201d the victim statements.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe understands that his offending has gone beyond the immediate impact on his victims, that it puts their families in very difficult positions, particularly those who remain in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt impacts on how they see themselves in the community and no doubt it impacts, as we\u2019ve heard today on how they view themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said home detention was the most appropriate consequence for the offender.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s 85 years old. He\u2019s in declining physical health. He has a declining memory \u2026 he has declining cognitive functioning. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe has lived outside of the community itself for two-and-a-half years \u2026 and given his restriction from entering the community, it has been a form of detention for him. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe has not been able to enter the common areas. He has not been able to operate as an Overseeing Shepherd \u2026 he\u2019s stepped down from that role. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s now in his twilight years \u2026 and is becoming more and more dependent on his family. If he is to serve a term of home detention, that will see his total removal from the Gloriavale community, and that is significant because he has lived at that community most of his adult life. <\/p>\n
\u201cDespite his ties to the community – he will no longer be able to contribute to that community\u2026 and his inability to work or contribute to this community is a significant feature of any penalty the court imposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vesty said in addition, Temple would be \u201calienated from his family and supporters\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is important to the defendant currently is that he does not wish to be a burden on his family and community – and wants to continue to do what he can, as his age and his health allow. <\/p>\n
\u201cA sentence of home detention and my submission will also allow Mr Temple to reflect and develop further insight in terms of the impact of his offending.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why judge initially handed out jail term <\/p>\n
After a short adjournment, Judge Neave handed down Temple\u2019s sentence. <\/p>\n
He said it was not in his remit to make any judgment or comment about the operation or beliefs of the Gloriavale community. <\/p>\n
Rather, his role was to sentence Temple for the offences he had been convicted of. <\/p>\n
He outlined the offending, saying it must have been \u201cinterminable and excruciating\u201d for the six victims. <\/p>\n
The victims felt like they were trapped due to Temple\u2019s leadership position. <\/p>\n
He said that when Temple was spoken to by police, he admitted his actions were not appropriate. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut that realisation came terribly late in the piece,\u201d said Judge Neave.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly, this was a breach of trust \u2026 significant breaches of trust due to your status. The victims were young people who resided in that community, essentially under your protection\u2026 and had no way of escape.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis offending… happened in their home – a place they were entitled to feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Neave said while the physical offending was at the lower end of the scale, the repetition and significant harm dramatically escalated the case. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey were children. And you were old enough to be their grandfather or even great-grandfather … [there was] an utter lack of concern for the interests of those whom you were there to protect, constantly taking advantage of the situation that presented itself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the element of hypocrisy in your actions – against the professed principles of your community.\u201d<\/p>\n
After considering the Crown and defence submissions, Judge Neave reached a decision. <\/p>\n
He set a starting point of three years in prison. <\/p>\n
The judge gave Temple an 8% discount for his guilty plea – despite it being \u201cbelated in the extreme\u201d.<\/p>\n
He also allowed a 5% discount for Temple\u2019s \u201cwillingness to participate\u201d in restorative justice and \u201ca dawning\u201d in his mind about the gravity of his feeling. <\/p>\n
However, it was clear to Judge Neave that Temple still failed to fully understand his offending and the impact it had. <\/p>\n
The judge also made small allowances for Temple\u2019s age and declining health – and the fact he has been restricted from his family and community during his time on bail.<\/p>\n
His final decision was a sentence of 26 months in prison. <\/p>\n
Temple\u2019s litany of offending <\/p>\n
The women described Temple taking advantage of the domestic duties they performed to touch, caress and grope them<\/a>, such as during meal times, when they would be serving large, heavy jugs of non-alcoholic cider or hot drinks to tables of 50 or more. One woman said she was left without \u201cany hands free to protect myself\u201d.<\/p>\n The women said it was common practice to attempt to arrive early so they could be allocated to any table except Temple\u2019s.<\/p>\n The only space to pour would be at his side at the head of the table, which allowed him to grab the young women around the waist, caressing them from their calves to their lower backs or grabbing them around their waists.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would run his hand up and down my legs, and touch my bum, or put his arm around me. He would ask me if anyone had told me they loved me today,\u201d one woman told the court.<\/p>\n She would usually \u201cjust shrug\u201d because she was scared, \u201cbut if he persisted, I would often lie and said yes, someone has told me they loved me, because I didn\u2019t want him to say he loved me\u201d.<\/p>\n Another woman said this would happen while Temple was flanked by his wife and daughter and in front of the entire community of more than 500 people, \u201cbut no one ever spoke up or said anything, so I didn\u2019t know that I would be allowed to. I didn\u2019t know it was wrong, I just know it didn\u2019t feel right to me\u201d.<\/p>\n Temple was also alleged to have frequented the kitchen to \u201chug\u201d the young women from behind while they were cooking or washing dishes, kissing them on their necks, touching their breasts or making lewd remarks.<\/p>\n Asked why she feared Temple, one woman said it was because the leaders hold all the authority in Gloriavale and \u201chad the power to ruin your life\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cRight from a baby, you\u2019re taught not to speak against the leaders. As a woman, you\u2019re supposed to be meek and quiet with downcast eyes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you do speak up about abuse that has happened, it was inevitably your fault because you seduced them somehow.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew nothing good would come of saying anything. I didn\u2019t have anyone to protect me because my parents hold the leaders in ultimate authority and they would listen to the leaders over their own daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n The complainants told the court that there was no way to refuse Temple, nor to report his actions to anyone.<\/p>\n Temple originally faced 24 charges. But on July 29, he entered guilty pleas to five charges of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act and two of common assault.<\/p>\n Under the Crimes Act 1961, he was facing a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.<\/p>\n On August 12, it was announced that Temple had resigned as Gloriavale\u2019s leader \u2013 a position known as the Overseeing Shepherd.<\/p>\n Temple is a former US Navy engineer who stepped into the leadership role in 2018 after the death of the community\u2019s founder, Hopeful Christian.<\/p>\n Christian \u2013 whose real name was Neville Cooper \u2013 was sentenced to six years in prison in September 1994, after being found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of indecent assault between 1980 and 1984 against five young complainants.<\/p>\n He was aged between 53 and 57 at the time of the offending.<\/p>\n Following an appeal and retrial, Christian was sentenced to five years in prison after he was found guilty of three charges of indecent assault.<\/p>\n Current Overseeing Shepherd Stephen Standfast declined to speak about Temple\u2019s offending and sentence. <\/p>\n Several Gloriavale members were in court to support Temple today. <\/p>\n Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The charges spanned more than 20 years and were described by Judge Raoul Neave as \u201cexcruciating\u201d for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179479,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[11730,9092,5768,5761,3595,69895,9060,6125,3602,2082,2740,13838,114486,93793,31950,114487,13489,130,111,43,139,69,1118,30083,28703,1523,5353,33244,5763,9764,7680,79677,131,1961,1865,8844,2248,1530],"class_list":["post-179478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-afternoon","tag-against","tag-appealed","tag-appeals","tag-by","tag-confronted","tag-decades","tag-disgraced","tag-earlier","tag-for","tag-former","tag-girls","tag-gloriavale","tag-howard","tag-imposed","tag-jailtime","tag-leader","tag-more","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-offences","tag-offending","tag-over","tag-period","tag-raft","tag-sentence","tag-sentencing","tag-sex","tag-temple","tag-than","tag-this","tag-today","tag-victims","tag-women","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple in court at his senencing for decades of sex abuse. Photo \/ Joe Allison<\/p>\n