Around 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults in New Zealand have suffered abuse or violence in public and religious care settings over the past 70 years, according to official research published on Wednesday (24/7). New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Laxon described the day as a “dark and sad” in the country’s history and apologised, pledging reforms.
The report said “it is a national disgrace that hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults have suffered abuse and neglect in the care of the state and religious institutions.” The authors describe the violence that occurred in both public and private institutions, referring to an “unimaginable national catastrophe” that caused “unimaginable damage.” Examples of abuse include rape, sterilisation and electric shocks, culminating in the 1970s.
During the five-year investigation, dozens of victims spoke of abuse and sexual violence in orphanages, reception facilities, psychiatric hospitals and other institutions. Some children were subjected to electric shocks that caused seizures, while others reported sexual violence by church officials. Young mothers were forced to give their children up for adoption, and many victims reported permanent trauma that led them to addictive behaviors.
The report notes that members of the Māori community and people with mental or intellectual disabilities were particularly vulnerable to abuse, with some practices considered “racist”. “From the moment they were taken into care, Māori were treated more harshly than others in many cases,” said Arun Soma, a key consultant on the research.
The inquiry came up with 233 recommendations for reform, which the government has pledged to consider, with a formal apology scheduled for November 12. According to the report, the average cost of living for an abuse survivor was estimated in 2020 at around NZ$857,000 (about €469,000) per person. Prime Minister Laxon said he believed the total compensation owed to survivors could be in the billions of dollars. “We are starting discussions on reparations and will carry out this work with survivor groups,” he concluded.
