In an emotional address to parliament on Tuesday, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon delivered a formal apology to the more than 200,000 children and vulnerable adults who suffered abuse while in state and faith-based care between 1950 and 2019. The historic apology follows a six-year inquiry that exposed widespread and systemic abuse within New Zealand’s care institutions, marking one of the country’s most significant abuse scandals.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, launched in 2018, is considered the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand. Over six years, the inquiry gathered testimonies from more than 2,300 survivors, revealing harrowing accounts of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect, forced labor, and even sterilization. The abuse occurred in state-run institutions, churches, and other faith-based facilities, disproportionately affecting Māori and Pacific communities, as well as individuals with mental or physical disabilities.
Luxon addressed an emotional apology in parliament
Addressing the survivors in parliament, Luxon said, “I make this apology to all survivors on behalf of my own and previous governments. It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened. For many of you, it changed the course of your life, and for that, the government must take responsibility.”
Survivors and their supporters filled the public gallery in parliament, while others gathered at events across the country or tuned in via livestreams to hear Luxon’s apology. Many wept quietly as the prime minister acknowledged the trauma inflicted upon them and their families, as well as the state’s failure to protect those in its care.
Luxon continued, “Your stories left many of us stunned that this could have happened here in New Zealand. But not you—you knew the truth because you lived it, and you have waited and waited for people to start listening to you. Now New Zealand has listened.”
The trauma of Abuse In Care Institutions
The commission’s report, released in July, found that of the 655,000 individuals who passed through New Zealand’s care institutions from the 1950s, roughly 200,000 were abused. The report highlighted that sexual abuse was more prevalent in faith-based institutions, where religious leaders often covered up offenses by transferring abusers to other locations. Many victims died without ever seeing justice, leaving behind a legacy of trauma that continues to affect survivors and their families today.
Survivor Tupua Urlich, who shared his story with the inquiry, was present in parliament to witness the apology. Speaking to the BBC, Urlich emphasized that while the apology was a significant step, it would be meaningless without concrete actions to reform the care system:
“Justice? No, not yet… These words are nothing unless they’re followed by action, and the right kind of action that is informed by survivors. The government have proven that alone they’re not trusted, nor capable, of providing the sort of change and service that we need.”
Many survivors, like Urlich, suffered not only physical abuse but also a profound disconnection from their cultural roots, particularly those from Māori communities. The inquiry found that the trauma of abuse often led to long-term consequences, including homelessness, addiction, and mental health struggles.
Overhaul of New Zealand’s Care system
In response to the inquiry’s findings, the government has promised to overhaul New Zealand’s care system to prevent such abuses from happening again. Luxon announced an immediate injection of NZ$32 million ($19 million USD) into existing support systems for survivors and hinted at the development of a new financial redress mechanism, though details are not expected until early next year.
The inquiry had made over 100 recommendations, including mandatory reporting of suspected abuse, public apologies from state and religious authorities, and legislative changes to protect children in care. Luxon confirmed that the government has completed or is working on 28 of these recommendations. He also announced new legal protections, such as a ban on strip searches and stricter regulations on individuals working with children.
To honor the survivors and acknowledge this painful chapter in New Zealand’s history, Luxon declared a National Remembrance Day, set to be observed on November 12 each year.
“It is on all of us to do all we can to ensure that abuse that should never have been accepted no longer occurs,” Luxon stated, underscoring the government’s commitment to learn from past failures.
Call from Survivors
Survivors like Keith Wiffin, who endured sexual and psychological abuse in state care, stressed the importance of survivors-led oversight in the reform process.
Tupua Urlich made a plea for greater accountability, “The door to consultation is open. We don’t trust you to get it right on your own – we need accountability and transparency on every move that is made – without transparency, abuse of power continues.”
The opposition leader, Chris Hipkins, echoed Luxon’s sentiments, offering a joint apology on behalf of successive governments that failed to protect those in care.
“We are sorry. Today all of Aotearoa New Zealand will bear witness to the truth, to what survivors experienced, to our decades of willful ignorance, denial, minimisation, and to our conviction to end such horror and vile acts from continuing,” Hipkins said.
At an event in parliament’s banquet hall just prior to the prime minister’s address, the heads of seven agencies, including the acting head of police, the chief executive of the ministry for social development, and the solicitor general, also issued apologies to survivors, though they were at times met with boos from the audience.
Luxon concluded his apology, saying, “First, we must do the right thing by you and provide you with the support that you need. Second, we must do all we can to prevent abuse happening in the future.”
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