Gloriavale man pleads guilty to charges of indecent assault and acts against eight girls
by Jean Edwards · RNZWarning: This story contains content some may find disturbing.
A Gloriavale man who has admitted sexual offending against eight girls preyed upon some as they slept and touched them while they were caring for children or working at the Christian community.
Fervent Ben-Canaan, 45, pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault and indecent acts - some of which were representative - against girls aged 11 and over, part-way through a jury trial at the Greymouth District Court.
According to a summary of facts suppressed until Friday, Gloriavale's leaders knew about Ben-Canaan's offending but asked him to apologise in front of the community for being sinful and sent him to live in a farmhouse away from the main Gloriavale site.
Leaders arranged a meeting after one of Ben-Canaan's victims pointed a knife and threatened to hurt him if he did not leave her alone.
Ben-Canaan lived with his family in a communal accommodation block until June 2018, when police were alerted to an allegation he indecently assaulted a 13-year-old girl.
The girl and her parents were reluctant to formalise a complaint while they still lived at Gloriavale, hampering the investigation.
Ben-Canaan declined to make a formal police statement and denied touching the girl, although he admitted having inappropriate thoughts and completed the STOP programme to address his sexual desire for young girls.
In 2021, police and Oranga Tamariki launched a major investigation into sexual offending at Gloriavale that involved screening all girls aged between five and 17 years-old, some of whom disclosed abuse.
One of the Ben-Canaan's victims recalled him coming into a bedroom she shared with her siblings, getting under her sheets and touching her.
On more than 20 other occasions, he put his hand up her dress while she was sleeping on a couch in the main building after early starts washing and cooking.
Ben-Canaan put his hand up another girl's dress and rubbed her leg while she was resting on a mattress after a morning working in the kitchen.
Another victim described Ben-Canaan rubbing her breast at the preschool and on two occasions woke to find him touching her in her bedroom.
She told her mother what had happened, who spoke to one of the community's leaders.
A fourth victim said Ben-Canaan became sexually aroused rubbing her back while she was baby-sitting.
During one of Gloriavale's concerts, Ben-Canaan followed a girl, prompting her to run through the dining hall and hide in a storeroom.
He went inside and turned off the light, tickling her on her thigh and bottom before she told him to stop and tried to pull his hands off her.
Two weeks later, Ben-Canaan cornered the girl in her bedroom, where he again tickled and touched her despite being asked to leave.
The girl pushed him away with a scooter and screamed at a friend to help, who froze.
Ben-Canaan eventually left, but told the girl he "would be back".
A sixth victim described Ben-Canaan pushing her into the preschool and forcing her to give him a two-minute hug, during which he moved his hand down her back to her bottom.
On another occasion he asked her to open her dressing gown in a hallway and grabbed her arm.
The girl managed to break free and ran to the hostel kitchen where she picked up a knife and told Ben-Canaan she would cut or injure him if he did not leave her alone.
She told an aunt and her mother what had happened, which was passed on to leaders who arranged a meeting with Ben-Canaan, the girl and her parents.
His community apology followed, and his move to the off-site farmhouse.
Ben-Canaan grabbed another girl by her hair and around her waist while she was vacuuming, pulling her towards him and touching her breasts.
She tripped and fell while backing away, so he sat on top of her, held her down and roughly grabbed at her stomach and breasts.
The girl started screaming and he walked out.
Fervent Ben-Canaan put his arm through a bedroom window and hand under the blanket of his eighth victim, feeling her breast, leg and bottom under her nightie.
He came into the family bedroom and did the same thing on numerous occasions over a five-year period when her parents were not there.
Ben-Canaan also pushed the girl into a bathroom corner, touched her breasts and tried to touch her bottom.
After an early start working in the community laundry, the girl would sometimes lie down on mattresses in a nearby room for 15 minutes.
She woke to find Ben-Canaan on top of her, touching her, saying "just let me, you might like it" - she pushed him away and left.
He would also hit her bottom walking past on early laundry shifts, or touch her in the dining hall.
Fervent Ben-Canaan pleaded guilty to a representative charge of an indecent act on a girl under 12, three indecent assault charges - two of which were representative - indecent assault of a girl aged between 12 and 16 and three charges of an indecent act on a young person under 16, one of which was representative.
Representative charges mean multiple offences of the same type have been committed in similar circumstances over a period of time.
The summary of facts noted Ben-Canaan remained an extended member of the community and his wife and children returned to Gloriavale daily.
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.