Dennis Gates: Lawyer who represented Gloriavale leavers comments on Howard Temple sentencing

Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple has been sentenced to 26 months in jail for sexual offending. 

He had indecently assaulted young women and girls over a 20 year period at Gloriavale as recently as 2022.

It comes as newly released documents show just how explicitly the government has been warned by its agencies that Gloriavale is not a safe place for women and girls. 

The lawyer who previously represented Gloriavale leavers Dennis Gates told Ryan Bridge that, "What you basically have here is institutionalised domestic violence on a macro scale."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Former Gloria Vale leader Howard Temple's going to jail, or
maybe he won't. He's been sentenced to twenty six months
in prison for sexual offending today. He immediately appeals the
sentence and was allowed out on bail. He had indecently
assaulted young women and girls over a twenty year period
at Gloria Vale, as recently as twenty twenty two. It
comes as newly released OAA documents. So just how explicitly

(00:23):
the government has been warning alarm bells to its agencies
that Gloria Vale is not a safe place for women
and girls. Dennis Gates is a lawyer who has previously
represented Gloria Vale Levers and is with me this evening. Dennis,
good evening. Hi, what do you make of that sentence?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
First of all, well, I think it's far too late.
You mentioned the timeframe of twenty years. This fellow has
been one of the founding members of Gloria Vale. He
set it up. You helped construct the legal architecture, of
the social architecture, of the faith architecture, and we've taken

(01:01):
advantage of that for fifty years at the cost of
the woman and children in glorib But I think this
is way too light.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
He and his lawyers clearly think it's too long.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh, I have no doubt they think that's the case.
You've got to remember, this was a representative admission by
how A Temple that he had abused these people, and
to my own knowledge, there are a lot a lot
more women and children that suffered at his hands. We've

(01:33):
discussed it throughout the court cases that I've been involved in.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
He's eighty five. What's the deal with being released early
a few you know on health grounds? What happens there?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
I think that's done on an individual case. It's not
something that I'm familiarly.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
The OAA documents that you have show what exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
All. They show a pattern and a knowledge within the
government agencies of a history and an entrenched culture of
sexual abuse, mental abuse, health abuse. The children are educated
by abused by not being properly educated. The whole thing
is rife with abuse. They report that to the ministers,

(02:22):
and this is being done over decades. Nothing happens. All
the politicians do is posture and pass say they're going
to do various things, and at the end of the
day they do nothing.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Is that because it's too hard to do something, and
what do you actually do. You know, people say shut
it down? What are you shut down? Like the school?
I can understand the ministry having an involvement in but
how do you actually shut down a community of people.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well, a lot of parallels are drawn with domestic violence,
and what you basically have here is institutionalized domestic island
on a macro scale. And the government has the power
the resources to go in and take those children out
by force if necessary. If the parents want to come

(03:12):
with them, fine, but they can't just sit back and
allow these people and children to be abused year after
years at the cost of the health and sanity of
those insight. It's ridiculous, it's outrageous. If this was a gang,
they would have been shut down decades ago.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Dennis, appreciate your time tonight. Dennis Gates, lawyer, previously represented
Glory of Our Leavers.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
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Speaker 1 (03:40):
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