Warning: This article contains details of sexual abuse.
Destiny Church, a group notorious for protesting Pride events and LGBTQ+ rights under the guise of ‘protecting children’, has distanced itself from a convicted child predator who was heavily involved in youth mentoring within its circles.
Kiwa Hami Tamati Edward Hamiora-Te Hira, 29, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison after admitting to repeatedly sexually abusing six boys between 2019 and 2023.
While Destiny Church leaders frequently claim LGBTQ+ people are a threat to children, their own youth mentor preyed on vulnerable boys—right under their noses. Yet, when faced with the truth, the church refused to take accountability, insisting he was “never a church leader.”
A ‘Mentor’ Who Betrayed the Vulnerable
Hamiora-Te Hira met his victims through Boys2Men and Youth Nation, programmes the victims understood to be connected to Destiny Church. Many of these boys, aged 13 to 19, sought refuge at his South Auckland home after facing difficulties in their own families. Instead of providing safety, he manipulated, groomed, and sexually abused them over several years.
One victim estimated he was abused around 100 times. Another was only 13 when the assaults began, happening weekly, sometimes daily. Victims described waking up to non-consensual touching and sexual acts, leaving them traumatised and broken.
In court, survivors confronted their abuser, expressing their deep emotional scars, PTSD, and inability to trust others.
Judge Clare Bennett condemned the egregious breach of trust, stating:
“These young men were looking for support, and instead, they were harmed. The damage to them is incalculable.”
Destiny Church’s Silence is Deafening
For years, Destiny Church has positioned itself as ‘defenders of family values’, aggressively protesting Pride events, drag performances, and LGBTQ+ rights, falsely claiming they are a danger to children.
Yet, when a trusted mentor from their own circles was convicted of repeated sexual abuse of minors, the church’s only response was denial and deflection.
A Destiny Church spokesperson claimed: “Mr Hamiora-Te Hira was never a church leader.”
Despite this, Boys2Men and Youth Nation were youth programmes that the victims believed to be linked to Destiny Church, and Hamiora-Te Hira was involved in mentoring under this umbrella. Where was Destiny Church’s outrage when one of their own was actually harming children?
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, support services are available:
📞 Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00
📞 Victim Support: 0800 842 846
📞 Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334 | safetotalk.nz
📞 Male Survivors Aotearoa: Find local helplines here
📞 Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843
📞 Emergency: Call 111 if someone is in immediate danger
