Barry  Matakatea

Background

A sexual predator who preyed on his own family for two decades has been given preventive detention after apologising in court and calling himself an "animal".

Barry John Matakatea, 51, of Stokes Valley, Wellington, had pleaded guilty to rape, two of attempted sexual violation, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, inducing an indecent act and five of indecent assault.

Matakatea asked Justice Alan MacKenzie in the High Court at Wellington if he could speak to the victims and their supporters in court,

"I have to say, deep down, I am very, very, very sorry for what I did to them. I know how much they are hurting. I'm nothing but shit.

"I am very sorry for them and myself too. I'm not a decent man, I'm just a f ... animal and I humbly apologise."

His first victim said Matakatea was older than her by 10 years and was the first of a number of abusers in her life. She felt haunted by her past.

She said she began drinking and gambling and became a shopaholic to numb the pain she felt.

When she had children she made the decision to cut members of her family out of her life to protect them.

"I had to protect my girls from the abusers.

"I spent years crying and angry. I don't want to be that person anymore. I feel I can move on now."

Justice MacKenzie said Matakatea's offending began in 1979, continuing over two decades and included six victims of his extended family.

He raped one girl in her bed, bribed and threatened his victims and in one case abused the daughter of one of his earlier victims.

The judge said while the girls had sometimes told others what he had done, it was handled in the family, with Matakatea getting beaten but no legal action was taken.

He said there was a clear pattern to Matakatea's offending, it took place in the homes of the children, often while he was looking after them.

Matakatea was considered at high risk of reoffending. Justice MacKenzie sentenced him to preventive detention with a five-year minimum non-parole period.

He imposed the shortest possible time for non-parole saying Matakatea needed to be put on courses to help him rehabilitate.

Lawyer Greg King said Matakatea had himself been abused although it was no excuse for what he did as most victims did not go on to abuse.

He had limited intellectual ability but his remorse was genuine and on a basic level he understood what he had done, Mr King said.

- The Dominion Post