Former Labour Party president Mike Williams says the initial steps taken after the alleged Summer Camp assaults were taken "appropriately and quickly", however he thought Young Labour would have "almost certainly" tried to protect the party over the recent allegations.
On TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning, Mr Williams said his understanding of the alleged incident of four sexual assaults against teenagers aged 16-18 by a 20-year-old man at last month's Summer Camp was that it was a "very isolated incident, it wasn't some huge drunken orgy, [it was] one drunken idiot".
"It didn't occur to a lot of people just how serious it was."
He said Labour Party general secretary Andrew Kirton gave the victims the option of what to do, "and all of them chose in the first instance not to do anything, not to go to the police and not to tell their parents, which is a victim's right to do that".
Host Jack Tame asked why Mr Kirton did not at least alert police to the alleged offender.
"He could have done that... It is the victim's choice. That's what Andrew was told."
He said he thought Young Labour were "almost certainly" trying to protect the party.
"I don't think they saw the gravity of it, but they probably understood if it came out it would be damaging to the party."
Mr Williams said there had always been a large number of adults present at similar events when he was involved. "These people are very bright, but they are kids."
Mr Williams also said he did not think anyone should lose their job, "certainly not Andrew Kirton".
"He responded appropriately and quickly. The only thing he did wrong in my view is that he didn't tell the PM, but that's one oversight."
He said the situation was a "learning curve".
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