TRANSCRIPT
It's been called New Zealand's national disgrace.
A royal commission has found at least 200-thousand children and vulnerable adults were abused while in care over 70 years.
For abuse survivor Toni Jarvis, the delivery of the findings is a significant milestone, coming after years of being ignored.
“For decades they told us, we made it up, they wouldn't have a bar of us so yes today is historic and that acknowledgement, acknowledges all these people here, all the courageous survivors that have been courageous and strong enough to share their stories and come onboard.”
Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa has suffered for years after being abused as a child by one of her teachers.
“He was a popular and well-known teacher but he was also a paedophile and unfortunately there were other little girls that he also abused in care. I didn't remember my abuse until I was an adult and started getting flashbacks and that was very traumatic like experiencing that trauma, so I had to work through that. It took a while, get counselling and all sorts.”
The commission findings are the result of 100 days of public hearings, nearly 3,000 testimonies and more than one million documents received in evidence.
New Zealand's largest and most complex royal commission exposes what it calls a "national disgrace" and it singles out churches, particularly the Catholic Church, for criticism.
It's found that of an estimated 655-thousand people that were in care between 1950 and 2019, a third were abused and many more neglected.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the victims are heard and believed.
“The Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care Report is of historical significance to New Zealand. It is the result of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held on our shores. Because of this, the content needs to be considered with respect and care. It cannot be rushed. This is a dark and sorrowful day in New Zealand's history. As a society and as a state, we should have done better. I am determined that we will do so.”
The commission found violence was common and, in some instances, staff used weapons and electric shocks and that Maori were disproportionately abused and subject to overt and targeted racism.
At one institution, staff at the Kimberley Centre took payment from members of the public to rape those in their care.
The report recommends further inquiry into the unmarked graves at former psychiatric hospitals and the establishment of a specialist police unit dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those responsible.
Erica Stanford is the minister responsible for the New Zealand government's response to the report.
“Over the next few months, cabinet will consider the findings and the report's 138 recommendations and the 95 redress recommendations from the redress report and we will make decisions in initial priorities.”
The report also calls for apologies from the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury among other religious bodies.
The New Zealand government will deliver an official apology in November.
Survivor Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa says she's hopeful about the government's response.
“The Royal Commission's final report has a whole lot of recommendations that if they are put into place will transform this whole area of care for children in schools, care for vulnerable and disabilities, care for Maori and Pasifika and I just think it’s a pathway for survivors to be able to get redress and it’s also a pathway that will protect our children and our vulnerable for the future. I think if this government really cares about our vulnerable and our children they'll put all the recommendations in place and I really would like to see churches support all the recommendations.”
