North Harbour Hockey Association: Teen shocked hockey association failed to report serious complaints to police
A teen hockey player allegedly sexually abused by a North Harbour Hockey Association employee says the chief executive stated the association was unable to back the girl going to police.
Her father has now filed a Sports Integrity Commission complaint against the CEO and leadership, after the employee was charged with indecently assaulting two teenagers.
The father says it should be “illegal” for sports organisations not to alert authorities when they are aware of serious allegations involving young people.
North Harbour Hockey Association (NHHA) chief executive Michelle Bentham declined to comment on the allegations made by the father and daughter when approached this week.
Last week she said the man’s employment ended in July 2025 “following an investigation conducted immediately after we received complaints from other staff members”.
“North Harbour Hockey takes the welfare and safety of our players incredibly seriously. We offer wellbeing support to anyone in our hockey whānau who has concerns.”
A Herald investigation last week revealed the worker was now facing three counts of indecent assault, two allegedly involving an underage girl associated with NHHA.
The other charge relates to Sarah*, who was 16 when he allegedly abused her.
It’s understood this man’s alleged offending occurred onsite at NHHA’s National Hockey Centre in Rosedale between April and July last year.
These allegations do not relate to a former Olympian from the club, who separately resigned last month after allegations of inappropriate relationships.
Sarah claimed that during a meeting mid-last year, Bentham told her the association would not report the other employee’s conduct to authorities.
“I didn’t expect that to be the response.
“They were the ones that hired him at the end of the day, and there should have been a lot more responsibility taken from that point of view.”
An email Bentham wrote to the teen in August 2025 said: “If you wish to take the matter to the police, the advice we have received is that you need to do this individually or together but we (NHHA) can’t get involved in the process”.
Bentham apologised in the email that NHHA could not be “more helpful” with reporting the matter, but claimed the organisation could not get involved because it might need to provide information to police.
Sarah said NHHA’s response made her feel “alone” and like there was “no one” looking out for her.
In her view, NHHA had tried to “hide the situation”. After the man resigned, she alleges Bentham told her there was “nothing further” the association could do.
“She kinda made it seem to me that they weren’t allowed to [report it to police].”
Sarah said she gained the courage to report the alleged abuse to authorities in August after speaking to her school counsellor, who connected her with sexual violence support charity HELP.
She told the Herald she felt let down by NHHA.
“Even if legally they did what they were recommended or were told to, I feel on a human basis they failed everyone involved.”
Sarah told the Herald she was on medication for her mental health as a result of how her complaint was handled.
‘I’m p***ed off’
Sarah’s father told the Herald he was “fuming” that his daughter had to go to police without NHHA’s support.
“I’m p***ed off, I wish I could use a better word, but angry is about it.
“They also failed to make any attempt to contact parents or alert the wider hockey community. This is an association built to serve and protect its community, yet that very community has been left entirely in the dark.”
He felt it should be “illegal” for sports organisations not to alert police when serious complaints involving children were made.
“Having my daughter look at me and ask why the adults in charge couldn’t just act like adults infuriates me. While I cannot undo the harm they have caused, I can and will help my daughter and the other young victims get the justice they deserve.”
He said there had been “zero” support from NHHA for his daughter, except offering the standard employee assistance programme.
“The young group that were affected in this scenario should never have been put in the positions they were put in.”
A Facebook post shared by NHHA on Thursday, after enquiries from the Herald, caused “so much damage” to his daughter, the father said.
On Saturday, the father filed a complaint with the Sports Integrity Commission (SIC).
His complaint alleges there was a “severe child safety failure and subsequent governance breach” by NHHA leaders.
The father called on the SIC to conduct an independent investigation into the NHHA’s refusal to make a police complaint regarding the worker’s alleged crimes and the alleged governance failures.
His message to NHHA leadership was: “I hope you read this and honestly review your actions from a human perspective - and, in particular, from a young person’s perspective.
“Go look at your own children and your own families, and ask yourselves honestly if this was truly the best you could do.”
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.