Former Marist Brother Charles Afeaki received an additional 18-month sentence in the Whanganui District Court last week for the sexual abuse of three students. According to court records, this latest sentencing brings Afeaki’s total accumulated time for historic child abuse offences to 13 years and 11 months, with his final release date now subject to a Parole Board decision.
Judge Bruce Davidson adds 18 months to Afeaki’s sentence
Judge Bruce Davidson ordered the additional 18 months to be added to the end of Afeaki’s existing sentence. The original term began with eight years in 1994, followed by further sentencings in 2003, 2024, and 2025.
The judge declined a defense request for sentence reductions based on Afeaki’s ailing health. Because the new charges stemmed from the same period as previous offences, Judge Davidson determined the additional time based on what a previous judge would have allotted had all crimes been known at the time.
Did You Know? Charles Afeaki has faced sentencing for 40 historic child abuse charges on four prior occasions before these latest proceedings.
Details of abuse at Whanganui and St Paul’s College
Court documents state Afeaki used the guise of discipline for minor infractions to abuse children. Two victims were targeted in 1977 at Marist Brothers Primary School in Whanganui during a school camp. Afeaki told the 11-year-old boys they would sleep in his bivouac as punishment for a prank.
According to the summary of facts agreed to by Afeaki, he positioned himself behind one victim and placed a hand over the boy’s mouth to stop him from crying out before sexually violating him. One victim told police the abuse was a “systematic campaign of psychological and sexual abuse” throughout that year.
A third victim was targeted in 1980 at St Paul’s College in Ponsonby when he was 12. According to the agreed facts, Afeaki forced the boy onto a couch and attempted to sexually violate him after the boy used a middle-finger gesture. The assault stopped only when the victim began yelling at the top of his voice.
Lifelong psychological and financial impact on survivors
Judge Davidson noted that the offending resulted in “significant emotional, financial and psychological damage” that often compounds over time. One survivor reported a recently diagnosed lifelong post-traumatic stress disorder and a “total emotional breakdown” during the police investigation that left him unable to work.
Another victim described himself as a “prisoner in his own mind” with serious trust issues. The survivor from St Paul’s College waited 46 years to come forward, deciding to speak out in December 2024 after a medical episode led him to tell his wife about the abuse.
Potential for further victims to come forward
The survivor from St Paul’s College expressed hope that other victims will find the courage to report Afeaki. He stated that the satisfaction of the offender “not getting away with it” outweighs the disappointment of the 18-month sentence.
Afeaki has previously told authorities he did not remember some accusers or allegations, though he accepted the crimes occurred because they matched his other patterns of victimization. This lack of acknowledgement was described by one complainant as “unbelievably sick.”
The Parole Board will ultimately determine when it is safe to release the 84-year-old former teacher.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total sentence Charles Afeaki has accumulated?
Across sentencings in 1994, 2003, 2024, 2025, and most recently last week, Afeaki has accumulated a total of 13 years and 11 months.
Where did the abuse take place?
Afeaki taught at the now defunct Marist Brothers Primary School in Invercargill (1973-1977), a school in Whanganui, and St Paul’s College in Ponsonby, Auckland.
Why was the latest case transferred to the south?
The proceedings were transferred because two of the three complainants were students at Marist Brothers Primary School in Whanganui when they were targeted in 1977.
Do you believe the legal system sufficiently accounts for the lifelong impact of historic abuse during sentencing?
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