New Zealand's dark past: Government says sorry to thousands hurt in state care
New Zealand government apologized for decades-long abuse in state and faith-based care affecting over 200‚000 people. PM **Christopher Luxon** announced major changes including a special remembrance day and removal of abusers memorials
On Nov 12th Christopher Luxon spoke to a crowd of 200 survivors and their families making a historic state apology for wide-spread abuse in care facilities. The long-awaited speech addressed horrible events that affected around 200‚000 young people and vulnerable adults
A July report showed that from early 50s till late 2019 many people in state and faith-based care faced physical and sexual abuse. “It was horrific It was heartbreaking It was wrong And it should never have happened“
Today I am apologising on behalf of the government to everyone who suffered abuse‚ harm and neglect while in care
The government has started working on 28 inquiry recommendations and plans to give full response in early-2024; A new bill about care safety is getting its first look today. They will mark Nov 12 as a special day next year and start taking down street-names and other things that honor bad people (instead theyll remember victims many of whom rest in unmarked graves)
The longest-ever NZ investigation talked to more than 2‚300 abuse survivors and found many terrible things - rape sterilisation and electric-shocks were common in mid-70s. Indigenous Maori people and those with mental or physical problems got hurt most often
The report asked for sorry-statements from both government and church leaders; it wants new rules about telling police when abuse happens - even if someone tells a priest in church. Each victimʼs life-time costs are around 857‚000 NZ dollars based on 2020 numbers
