Sex offender Middleditch's artwork removal could help victims 'find some healing', says survivor

5:03 pm on 7 April 2025

John Middleditch's Eleven Bronze Rods supporting Albatross Wingspan, 1969.

The John Middleditch sculpture on display at the University of Otago's Dunedin campus was removed on Friday after RNZ earlier revealed the late artist's offending against young girls. Photo: RNZ

Warning: This story deals with child sexual abuse.

An abuse survivor who helped to expose a child sex offender, said it has been validating to see his artwork taken down.

Sculptures by convicted child sex offender John Middleditch were removed from the University of Otago's Dunedin campus on Friday and late last month from Tūhura Otago Museum.

RNZ previously revealed the late, prominent artist was convicted in December 1976 of eight charges of indecently assaulting girls aged between eight and 11, and one of attempted indecent assault.

It came to light after the survivor came forward earlier this year, saying Middleditch abused her as a child and complaining about the Dunedin Hospital which was also displaying his artwork.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was blown away by the speed and respect of their decisions to remove his art.

"The fact that they've taken a moral stand to put the safety of the people that they serve first has just been so much more than I ever expected, given in the past I've been completely ignored," she said.

"It hasn't been easy, it's been such a long journey and I have to pinch myself a little bit to really believe that it's actually happened."

People like him had previously been protected so this was a strong message that it was not ok to continue celebrating people who used their positions to abuse children and avoid the consequences, she said.

She hoped it would help other survivors.

"To have this kind of validation is so huge and maybe we can even find some healing," she said.

She met with the hospital and the university in the wake of speaking out, and said she was impressed with their response.

"It bodes well for survivors going forward that we've lived a long time not even being believed and being silenced, and I talk about this is bringing from the darkness and into the light."

She hoped that survivors and these institutions might be able to collaborate in the future to acknowledge where they had come from and where they were going.

She also thanked the students involved in creating a petition to remove his artwork from the university, saying she was proud that they made a stand to support survivors.

Tūhura Otago Museum director, Dr Ian Griffin, said the museum's board and management wanted to be proactive and deal with the situation in a thorough and respectful way.

"Tūhura Otago Museum was deeply saddened to learn of the situation and felt the sculpture's removal was appropriate in showing respect for the victims," he said.

The university said it removed the Eleven Bronze Rods Supporting Albatross Wingspan sculpture on Friday after reviewing its ownership of the artwork.

Registrar Dr David Clark said a panel agreed removing the sculpture aligned with its commitment to provide a safe environment, given the knowledge they now had about Middleditch's offending and convictions.

"Knowledge of this offending changes the nature of the relationship between the university community and the work concerned, and its removal from public display reflects a need to re-think the place that the work has in the university," Clark said.

The six-person panel consulted a wide range of people and included sexual violence support and prevention expertise, he said.

The panel was expected to finish its final report in the next few weeks and Clark confirmed the university would review any further recommendations.

The sculpture was moved into storage.

Last month, two paintings by Middleditch, including one of three naked girls, and a plaque naming him in front of his water fountain sculpture at Dunedin Hospital were removed.