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New Zealand Offers Unreserved Apology for Horrific Abuse in State and Church Care
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon formally apologises to around 200,000 people who suffered "horrific" and "heartbreaking" abuse in state, foster and church care institutions between 1950 and 2019. The abuse included physical, sexual and psychological abuse, as well as medical experimentation, with indigenous Maoris disproportionately affected. The apology follows a landmark report released in July, which was the most complex royal commission inquiry the country has ever seen.
We are sorry. Today all of Aotearoa New Zealand will bear witness to the truth, to what survivors experienced, to our decades of wilful ignorance, denial, minimisation and to our conviction to end such horror and vile acts from continuing.
There will be a big bill, but it's nothing compared to the debt we owe those survivors and it must not be the reason for any further delay.
Many people entering into state and faith-based institutions were undocumented. Records were incomplete, they've gone missing, and in some cases, yes, they were deliberately destroyed.
I am deeply sorry that New Zealand did not do better by you. I am sorry you were not believed when you came forward to report your abuse.
I am sorry that many abusers were not made to face justice which meant that other people experienced abuse that could have been prevented.
Agencies should have done better and must commit to doing so in the future.
I make this apology to all survivors on behalf of my own and previous governments.
For many of you it changed the course of your life, and for that, the government must take responsibility.
Your stories left many of us stunned that this could have happened here in New Zealand. But not you – you knew the truth because you lived it, and you have waited and waited for people to start listening to you. Now New Zealand has listened.
First, we must do the right thing by you and provide you with the support that you need. Second, we must do all we can to prevent abuse happening in the future.
Right now I feel alone and in utter despair at the way in which this government has undertaken the task of acknowledging all survivors.
It gave hope that there would be change, for the future of those who go into care, that there will be genuine focus on prevention … but also there was a commitment – albeit slightly disappointing it was not immediate – for redress to happen, which is essential.
It's such a huge historical day, for survivors in the first instance, but for the country as well.
It has tarred our international reputation as an upholder of human rights, something this nation likes to dine out on.
It was about being here to hear the government acknowledge the role they played in the pain and the trauma they've inflicted upon my family – today is not a day of justice but for acknowledgment.
The effects of that trauma came through later on in life.
It's not just the physical abuse, it was the disconnection from my family, from my culture.
New Zealand State Care Child Abuse
sources
- 1.Daily Sabah
- 2.The Guardian
- 3.BBC
- 4.Al Jazeera
- 5.The Washington Post
- 6.ABC News (Australia)
- 7.The Times of India
- 8.Guardian
perspectives
countries
organizations
persons
- 1.Christopher Luxon
- 2.Charlotte Graham-McLay
- 3.Chris Hipkins
- 4.Keith Wiffin
- 5.Tu Chapman
- 6.Tupua Urlich
- 7.Coral Shaw
- 8.Gina Sammons
- 9.Pope Francis
