Sex abuse accused former politician fostered children until his death
Wednesday, 2 October 2024
Former National Party minister Anthony ‘Aussie’ Malcolm fostered children until his death last month.
This is despite having had four child sex abuse complaints made about him to police.
In some cases, Malcolm was granted parenting orders by the Family Court under the Care of Children Act and given authority to act as a sole caregiver.
WARNING: This story contains explicit details and will be upsetting to some readers.
Former National Party minister Anthony ‘Aussie’ Malcolm fostered children until his death last month, despite four child sex abuse complaints to police about him.
Oranga Tamariki, the agency charged with the care and protection of children, knew of at least two of the complaints, but it says Malcolm was never one of its registered caregivers.
Despite this, Stuff has learned the ex-Cabinet minister looked after various children at his Northland home after his tenure as a politician ended in 1984.
A person does not need to be a registered Oranga Tamariki carer to foster a child.
In some cases, Malcolm was granted parenting orders by the Family Court under the Care of Children Act and given authority to act as a sole caregiver. In others, parents themselves entrusted him with looking after their children. Neither scenario meant he was an official Oranga Tamariki caregiver.
Police received child sex abuse complaints about Malcolm in 1992 (two), 2012 and 2018, but none resulted in any charges.
The allegations, which included indecent assault and sexual violation, were later raised with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. They were referred back to police in June, and were being investigated when Malcolm died, aged 83, in August. Police have since announced they’re reviewing their handling of complaints made about the ex-MP.
The last complaint about Malcolm was lodged in August 2018 by a 14-year-old who’d fled his care, but the boy, who we’ll call Michael, wouldn’t make a formal statement.
A month later, Malcolm’s lawyer emailed Michael’s mother, saying he’d been in touch with both police and Oranga Tamariki after she told Malcolm he was being investigated, but neither agency had raised any concerns with him. The teen’s siblings had previously threatened to accuse Malcolm of assaulting Michael if he didn’t pay him a sum of money, the lawyer said. Malcolm had refused and advised police of the supposed blackmail attempts, the letter said.
Several months later, Malcolm emailed Michael’s mother directly addressing other matters to do with his care, and made him out to be a liar.
“Frankly, [name withheld], the boy says all sorts of things to different people and any adult dealing with him should be very cautious about believing him without checking the facts with other reliable adults.”
Despite this, Malcolm said he was keen to remain involved in Michael’s care and later emailed his mother to say the best way for her to contact her son was through him - despite the boy living elsewhere.
“I am the person who is managing his situation, protecting him, ensuring he is safe and making good progress. I know where he is day by day; I know how he is; I talk with him regularly; I have in place a network of people who are supporting him, specialists, clinical psychologists, Care and Protection workers.”
Michael declined to comment when contacted by Stuff.
However, his mother, who we’ll call Stephanie, said she was “heartbroken” when he came to her in 2018 and alleged he’d been abused by Malcolm.
In an email to her, Michael detailed some of the abuse he claimed he’d been subjected to. He said Malcolm had tried to “corrupt my mind with gayness”, slapped and grabbed his bottom, and tried to kiss him/grab his penis.
Stephanie told Stuff that after her son complained to police she tried to stop Michael having contact with Malcolm, which included her raising concerns with Oranga Tamariki.
“I was telling anyone who would listen to me, hoping something would happen.”
However, she didn’t have the support of other members of her son’s family and he visited Malcolm’s home again on occasion.
“I felt absolutely defeated and powerless to continue fighting. What more could I have done?”
Stephanie said she was contacted last year by a lawyer working for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, who’d come across files referencing complaints she’d made to Oranga Tamariki about her son’s care.
The lawyer, in a text message, requested further information from her to better understand “from your perspective why things didn’t progress with police and CYFS (the agency that Oranga Tamariki replaced in 2017)”.
Stephanie said she was not surprised to learn Malcolm had been the subject of three other complaints, and was “disgusted” that, despite the concerns raised, he’d been allowed to continue to have children in his care.
An Oranga Tamariki spokesperson said Malcolm was never one of the agency’s caregivers. They declined to answer a series of questions from Stuff, saying they could not comment on individual cases for “privacy reasons”.
Stuff has learned Malcolm was caring for another teenager at the time of his death. Both the boy and his father have no concerns about the former politician, and have spoken out in support of him, saying they believe he’s innocent.
Te Haurua O’Reilly, 35, said he met Malcolm as a child and thought of him as mentor who’d offered support and guidance when he became a solo-father
Over the years, Malcolm had briefly mentioned to him that he’d been the subject of child sex abuse allegations, but brushed them aside.
“He said to me that when you get into a position of power and people don’t agree with you they will do anything to destroy you, drag you down.”
In 2022, O’Reilly said he allowed his then 12-year-old son to move to Northland to live with Malcolm so that he could get a better education.
As part of the move, he agreed Malcolm could be the boy’s sole caregiver. Malcolm paid for the child to attend a private school, and he later got a scholarship.
O’Reilly said he never had any concerns about his son while he lived with Malcolm.
The boy, now 14 and speaking with his father’s permission, told Stuff he thought of Malcolm as a “kind, honest man”.
He was “shocked” when details of the historic allegations about him emerged after his death.
“I think it’s very untrue. He was just not like that,” the boy said.
A member of Malcolm’s family has twice declined to comment, and last month asked not to be contacted again.
Last month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was “completely unaware” of the “very serious allegations” Malcolm faced until they were first reported by Stuff.
He urged anyone with “further information” to contact police.
Police previously said a detective superintendent was overseeing a review of sex abuse complaints about Malcolm.
“While this process is ongoing, we are unable to share information about specific reports or cases,” a spokesperson said.
Malcolm served in the Muldoon Government, working as a Cabinet minister with varied portfolios - including railways, health and immigration.
He had come to Parliament after training as a social worker and then ran an advertising company. Post-Parliament, he turned his passion for yachting into a fourth career, managing New Zealand’s first challenge for the America’s Cup.
Born in Australia, Malcolm moved to New Zealand as a child and attended Wellington College where his classmates nicknamed him 'Aussie“. The name stuck with him his whole life.
In 1975, Malcolm defeated Labour’s Mike Moore to win the Eden electorate for the National Party, a seat he would hold for three terms.
His political career came to an end in 1984, when Labour reclaimed the seat in a landslide election.
His work as a director of New Zealand’s first America’s Cup campaign saw the team secure the largest sporting sponsorship of the time, bringing in millions to fund the team.
Malcolm remained involved in yachting, and was a member of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for more than 40 years.
He also went on to pursue a diverse range of business ventures.
He founded the immigration consultancy Malcolm Pacific, and co-founded the country’s biggest diving company Dive! Tutukaka, in Northland. Malcolm ceased being a director and shareholder of the business more than a decade ago.
Sexual violence: where to get help
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00, click link for local helplines.
Victim Support 0800 842 846.
Safetalk text 4334, phone 0800 044 334 webchat safetotalk.nz or email support@safetotalk.nz.
The Harbour Online support and information for people affected by sexual abuse.
Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843
Male Survivors Aotearoa Helplines across NZ, click to find out more (males only).
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.
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