Survivors of abuse in care today received a formal apology from the Government at an event in Parliament that was livestreamed across New Zealand.
The national apology was given by the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, followed by a statement from the Leader of the Opposition, Rt Hon Chris Hipkins. The national apology followed an earlier event at Parliament where the chief executives of several agencies also made apologies and the voices of survivors were heard.
The national apology was streamed to three concurrent events in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, as well as a survivor-led event at Pipitea Marae in Wellington.
The Royal Commission heard nearly 3,000 survivor accounts of abuse and neglect and its report and recommendations are the result of five years of investigations, research, private sessions, and public hearings.
The Secretary for Justice, Andrew Kibblewhite, says the Ministry of Justice is one of the government agencies contributing to the Crown response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations.
“I attended the concurrent event held in Wellington and heard survivors’ harrowing stories of abuse and neglect.
“On behalf of the Ministry, I acknowledge the Prime Minister’s apology on behalf of the Government for the abuse that survivors experienced in the care of the state.
“The national apology is an important step in the process of healing, but it is just one of many steps that will be needed. We are working with the Crown Response Unit and other agencies to develop a meaningful response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations in its interim and final reports. This includes progressing several legislative amendments within the next few months.”
Support
For people wanting to access wellbeing support prior to and after the apology event, a helpline, Safe to Talk, is available 24/7: