Clint Rickards

21 November 2008 - Clint Rickards is a "totally inappropriate choice as a candidate for a job with youth" says Dr Kim McGregor, Director of Rape Prevention Education, Auckland.

Dr McGregor's comments follow John Tamihere's announcement that he is in consultation with Rickards about working on a new youth development programme at Waipareira Trust.

While Rickards was acquitted of charges against him there is no question that he engaged in appalling abuses of power towards young and vulnerable women whom he was duty bound to protect.

"It is of grave concern that Rickards may be working with a vulnerable group of young people. He has used his power over vulnerable young people before and shows no remorse for this. I seriously question the ethics of employing Rickards to work with youth." says Dr McGregor.

Educators from Rape Prevention Education's youth sexual violence prevention program, BodySafe, hear first hand from young people about their vulnerability to experiences of sexual violence, especially at the hands of "trusted" adults.

"When we are delivering BodySafe in schools all over Auckland there are young people disclosing about their experiences of sexual violence, violence that is often perpetrated by adults in a position of supposed trust, and power, over the young people. These experiences are clearly having devastating impacts on their lives" says Veronica Marwitz, BodySafe Program Development Manager.

Rape Prevention Education is concerned about the message that young people would be getting from Rickards about the treatment of young women. "He clearly has a disregard for the safety and well being of young women and these views would no doubt be expressed within any youth work he would do" says Veronica Marwitz.

Just as teachers have to uphold standards of conduct, it is especially essential that those working with the most vulnerable young people in our country also uphold those standards of ethics and care for the young person.