Wellington: On Tuesday, New Zealand delivered a historic national apology to the victims and families of those subjected to physical and sexual abuse in care institutions over the past 70 years. The apology follows the findings of a public inquiry report released in July, which revealed that around 200,000 children and vulnerable adults were victims of abuse while under state and faith-based care from 1950 to 2019.
“It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated as he addressed about 200 abuse survivors and their families, who were present in the public gallery at Parliament in Wellington.
The prime minister offered the apology on behalf of both the current and past governments, emphasizing that the abuse was unjust and unacceptable. “Today I am apologising on behalf of the government to everyone who suffered abuse, harm and neglect while in care. I make this apology to all survivors on behalf of my own and previous governments.”
In response to the inquiry’s findings, the government has already completed or initiated work on 28 recommendations. A full response will be provided early next year. The government also announced plans to establish a National Remembrance Day on November 12 next year, which will honor the victims of abuse. Efforts will also be made to remove memorials, including street names and public amenities, that are linked to proven perpetrators. Instead, the focus will be on honoring the victims, many of whom were buried in unmarked graves at psychiatric and other care facilities.
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The New Zealand parliament also commenced the first reading of a bill that will include a range of measures aimed at improving safety in state care. The Royal Commission of Inquiry, which conducted the investigation, was the longest and most complex inquiry in the country’s history. The commission spoke to over 2,300 abuse survivors, uncovering a range of abuses, including rape, sterilization, and the use of electric shocks, which reached their peak in the 1970s.
Indigenous Māori communities were found to be especially vulnerable to abuse, as were individuals with mental or physical disabilities. The final report from the inquiry included 138 recommendations, including calls for public apologies from New Zealand’s government, the Pope, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, heads of the Catholic and Anglican churches, respectively. Both the Pope and Archbishop have condemned the abuse.
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The report also recommended new legislation, including mandatory reporting of suspected abuse, even if confessions were made during religious rites. The estimated lifetime cost for each abuse survivor was approximately NZ$857,000 ($511,115) as of 2020. However, the inquiry did not make a clear recommendation on survivor compensation.
