New Zealand’s government issued a formal apology on Tuesday to survivors and families impacted by decades of abuse in state and religious institutions. This apology acknowledges the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse suffered by hundreds of thousands of children and vulnerable adults in these institutions over the past 70 years.
Background of the Abuse Report
The apology follows a public inquiry report released in July, which revealed that approximately 200,000 children and vulnerable adults in New Zealand’s state and faith-based care experienced abuse from 1950 to 2019. The report, a result of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, stands as one of New Zealand’s most extensive investigations, collecting testimonies from over 2,300 abuse survivors in a nation of 5.3 million.
Prime Minister’s Apology to Victims
With survivors and their families present, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed deep regret, saying, “It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened.” Speaking in parliament, he apologized on behalf of his government and previous administrations to all those harmed by the abuse and neglect.
The prime minister also stated that his administration has addressed or initiated 28 of the inquiry’s recommendations. A complete government response is expected early next year.
New Measures to Honor Victims and Ensure Protection
In a symbolic gesture of remembrance, New Zealand will hold a National Remembrance Day on November 12 next year to honor those affected. Additionally, the government plans to remove public monuments that commemorate individuals found responsible for abuses. Instead, it will create memorials to honor the victims, many of whom rest in unmarked graves at former state care sites.
A new legislative proposal, which had its first reading in parliament on Tuesday, seeks to enhance safety in state care institutions, introducing mandatory reporting requirements for abuse suspicions, even those disclosed in religious confessions.
Details of the Inquiry’s Findings
The Royal Commission of Inquiry’s report documented widespread abuses in state and church-run facilities, including instances of sexual assault, forced sterilization, and electric shock treatment, with the highest number of cases occurring during the 1970s. It emphasized that Indigenous Māori and those with physical or mental disabilities were particularly at risk.
The final report included 138 recommendations, among them calls for public apologies from New Zealand’s government as well as from the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, leaders of the Catholic and Anglican churches, which have previously condemned child abuse.
The inquiry estimated that survivors of abuse bear an average lifetime cost of around NZD 857,000 ($511,115) per person but did not specify an exact compensation amount.
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