New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has formally apologized to victims of abuse at nursing homes, following an investigation into one of the country’s biggest abuse scandals.
The historic apology comes to parliament after a report found that 200,000 children and vulnerable adults were abused in state and faith-based care between 1950 and year 2019.
Many of them include people from Māori and Pacific communities and people with physical or mental disabilities.
The government has promised to reform the care system.
“I apologize to all the survivors on behalf of my government and previous governments,” Luxon said Tuesday.
“It’s terrible. It’s heartbreaking. It was wrong. And that should never have happened,” he added. “For many of you, it has changed your lives and for that, the government must be held accountable.”
The inquiry, which Luxon described as the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, took six years to complete and included interviews with thousands of victims of abuse in prisons. State and religious care facilities.
Subsequent reports documented a series of abuses including rape, sterilization, and forced labor.
It found that faith-based organizations often have higher rates of sexual abuse than state care; and civil and religious leaders fought to cover up abuse by moving abusers to other locations and denying guilt, with many victims dying before seeing justice .
The findings are seen as vindication for those who find themselves facing down powerful officials, the state and religious organizations – and often struggling to be trusted.
Some survivors and supporters came to parliament on Tuesday to hear the prime minister’s apology, while hundreds more watched livestreams across the country. Luxon had previously faced criticism for issuing an apology in parliament, as it meant many survivors were unable to hear directly from the prime minister.
Survivors argued that Luxon’s apology was meaningless unless it was accompanied by an appropriate compensation plan.
Tupua Urlich, a Māori survivor who gave testimony about abuse to the inquiry, told the BBC’s Newsday programme: “The effects of that trauma come later in life.” “It wasn’t just physical abuse but also separation from my family, from my culture.”
“Justice? No, not yet,… These words mean nothing unless they are followed by action and the right kind of action informed by the survivors.
“The government has proven that it is neither trustworthy nor capable of delivering the kind of change and services we need.”
Details on the compensation plan are not expected until early next year.
Luxon said on Tuesday that while the government implements a new financial compensation mechanism for survivors, it would pump an additional NZ$32m ($19m, £15m) into the system. Present.
The inquiry produced more than 100 recommendations, including public apologies from New Zealand authorities and religious leaders, as well as legislation mandating reporting of suspected abuse.
Luxon said the government had completed or was in the process of implementing these 28 recommendations but did not give specifics.
A bill aimed at better protecting children in care was read for the first time in parliament on Tuesday, after Luxon issued an apology. The bill proposes, among other things, a ban on strip searches and greater restrictions on people who work with young children.
Luxon also announced a National Day of Remembrance will be observed on November 12 next year to mark the anniversary of Tuesday’s apology.
“We must all do all we can to ensure that abusive behavior that should never have been tolerated no longer happens,” he said.
