New Zealand faces dark chapter: Probe finds children, adults abused in care; official apology to be issued
PTC Web Desk: New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Wednesday expressed deep regret after a public inquiry revealed that approximately 2,00,000 children, young people, and vulnerable adults were abused in state and religious care over the past 70 years.
The inquiry found that nearly one in three children and vulnerable adults in care between 1950 and 2019 experienced some form of abuse. This revelation could lead to billions of dollars in compensation claims against the government. "This is a dark and sorrowful day in New Zealand's history. As a society and as a state, we should have done better, and I am determined that we will do so," New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated during a news conference. He also announced that an official apology would be issued on November 12.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry, which conducted the investigation, interviewed over 2,300 survivors of abuse in New Zealand, a country with a population of 5.3 million. The inquiry's report detailed widespread abuses in both state and faith-based care settings, including sexual assault, sterilisation, and electric shocks, with the peak of these atrocities occurring in the 1970s.
The report highlighted that individuals from the Indigenous Maori community, as well as those with mental or physical disabilities, were particularly susceptible to abuse. Civil and faith leaders frequently attempted to conceal these abuses by relocating offenders and denying responsibility, resulting in many victims dying without receiving justice. "It is a national disgrace that hundreds of thousands of children, young people, and adults were abused and neglected in the care of the state and faith-based institutions," the report stated.
The commission made 138 recommendations, including public apologies from New Zealand's government, the Pope, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leaders of the Catholic and Anglican churches, respectively. Both religious leaders have previously condemned child abuse. The report also called for the establishment of a Care Safe Agency to oversee the industry and the introduction of new legislation mandating the reporting of suspected abuse, including admissions made during religious confession.
The report estimated the average lifetime cost for an abuse survivor to be approximately NZ$857,000 (US$511,200), reflecting the impact on what New Zealanders would consider normal, day-to-day activities. However, the report did not specify the amount of compensation available for survivors. Luxon acknowledged that the total compensation due to survivors could amount to billions of dollars. "We're opening up the redress conversations and we're going through that work with survivor groups," he said.
The inquiry also recommended payments to families affected by the intergenerational trauma of abuse and a review of compensation paid in previous child abuse cases, including those at the state-run Lake Alice adolescent unit. "The most important element is to recognise and acknowledge the survivors for the reality and the truth of their lives," said Tracey McIntosh, a sociologist at the University of Auckland.
- With inputs from agencies
