HONOLULU (AP) - A private school system in Honolulu has issued an apology to the victims of a doctor who was accused of sexually abusing students for decades.
In a letter posted Friday to the website of Kamehameha Schools, CEO Jack Wong said the school and the community were not prepared for the “horrific revelation” that students were “secretly abused and physically and emotionally traumatized” by Robert Browne.
“And, after abuses were reported, not nearly enough was done,” Wong said.
Browne, who was the chief of Psychiatry at St. Francis Hospital, worked as a consultant for the school and treated hundreds of Kamehameha students from the late 1950s into the early 1980s.
Years later, dozens of victims reported being subjected to weekly sexual abuse, sometimes lasting for years, and criticized the school’s handling of it.
“On behalf of Kamehameha Schools, I’d like to take this time to apologize to these victims of Dr. Browne and their families who suffered alongside them,” Wong said. “Kamehameha Schools is deeply and truly sorry.”
Lawsuits from 34 victims were filed against the school, St. Francis Medical Center and Browne’s estate, claiming negligence and other charges for not protecting them from abuse.
Attorneys representing victims told Hawaii News Now that the apology is 50 years late, but it does show steps are being taken to reach accountability and reconciliation.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.