Dunedin historical sex crime left victim drained from fighting for justice, claims it was never about money

A historical sexual abuse case that took nearly five years to resolve left a Dunedin survivor heartbroken and drained of her drive for justice. “This time, they nearly destroyed my mental health.”The process began back in November 2018, when Sarah first lodged a historical abuse claim with the MSD. In April of 2023, to her complete surprise, she received a second offer — a higher “rapid payment offer”. She said MSD had tried to make the claim process as smooth as possible and apologised for Sarah’s experience. The claims process was designed to give them choice, and payments were only one aspect.