New Zealand PM apologizes for ‘horrific’ care home abuse
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon formally apologized to victims of decades-long abuse within state and faith-based care homes, a historic statement following one of the country’s largest public inquiries into abuse. Delivered in parliament, Luxon’s apology comes in response to a comprehensive inquiry report revealing that an estimated 200,000 children and vulnerable adults, many from Māori and Pacific communities or living with disabilities, suffered abuse between 1950 and 2019.
Luxon extended an apology to all survivors on Tuesday, speaking on behalf of his own and previous governments. He described the events as horrific, heartbreaking, and fundamentally wrong, stating that such incidents should never have occurred. Acknowledging the profound and lasting impacts on victims’ lives, he emphasized that for many, these experiences altered the course of their lives, a responsibility he said the government must accept.
The inquiry, which took six years to complete, included thousands of survivor testimonies and documented severe abuses such as rape, forced sterilizations, and involuntary labor. The report highlighted that faith-based institutions reported higher rates of sexual abuse than state institutions, with evidence that religious and civil leaders attempted to conceal the abuses by relocating offenders and denying culpability. Tragically, many victims died before seeing justice.
The apology was met with a range of emotions from survivors, many of whom attended the parliament session or watched through livestreams across the country. Some survivors expressed disappointment that the apology was delivered in parliament, limiting in-person attendance, and called for meaningful actions to accompany Luxon’s words. Tupua Urlich, a Māori survivor who testified during the inquiry, emphasized that words alone would not bring justice. “These words are nothing unless they’re followed by action,” he said. “The government has proven that alone they’re not trusted, nor capable, of providing the sort of change and service that we need.”
Additionally, Luxon pledged an additional NZ$32 million ($19 million, £15 million) investment in the existing support system for survivors. This is despite the fact that specifics on a full reparation scheme are not anticipated to be available until the beginning of the next year. More than one hundred recommendations were included in the conclusion of the investigation. These recommendations included public apologies, legislative demands for abuse reporting, and a commitment to reforms in child protection and welfare. The government has either implemented or is working on 28 of these proposals, according to Luxon, although he did not disclose any specific specifics about the implementation or work.
As a result of the apology, a bill that was intended to safeguard children who were in foster care had its initial reading in the legislature. Both a prohibition on strip searches and more stringent limits on individuals who work with young children are among the improvements that have been proposed. Furthermore, Luxon said that the 12th of November, the following year, would be designated as a National Remembrance Day in order to commemorate those who had been abused in nursing homes. This day would also mark the anniversary of the apology.
Luxon emphasized the shared responsibility to prevent abuse that should never have been tolerated and committed his government to building a safer, more accountable care system in New Zealand.