An advocate for victims of abuse in religious institutions says the Dilworth school case is unusual because the accused have ended up in court.
Six men in their 60s and 70s with historical links to the Anglican boys' school in Auckland have been charged with indecent assault, sexual violation and drug supply.
Police have been investigating the Dilworth claims for a year and have so far identified 17 victims of abuse spanning from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
Liz Tonks, from the Network for Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, says it's unusual to see charges laid in these cases.
At a media conference yesterday the Dilworth Trust Board chair Aaron Snodgrass apologised publicly to any former students who had been abused.
