St. Peter’s Cambridge confirms it is cooperating fully with NZ Police in relation to investigations involving a former staff member.

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The confirmation follows NZ Police informing the school that a former staff member will be charged with offences related to alleged historical student abuse in Hamilton District Court today.

While the person being charged has name suppression, NZ Police confirmed the person worked at St. Peter’s Cambridge in the late-1970s.

School Trust Board Chair, John Macaskill-Smith, said he understands the school’s acknowledgement and apology for historical staff abuses, made in November 2021, was the prompt that led alumni to come forward to police and subsequent charges to be laid.

“We fully support alumni who have come forward. The School Trust Board wants to assure them we have been cooperating fully with NZ Police and we will continue to do so,” he said.

“To avoid compromising the judicial process in any way, St. Peters’ Cambridge will minimise further public statements about the charges laid today.”

In recent years, St. Peter’s has initiated many safeguards to protect current and future students who learn and board with the school. It has developed a child protection policy and processes and invested in ongoing child safeguarding training for staff while also ensuring students have a range of ways to report any concerns.

Child abuse prevention and safeguarding is openly discussed with students to reinforce that abuse in any form is not tolerated at St. Peter’s Cambridge.

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