Wellington, New Zealand
AP
—
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told parliament on Tuesday that he had “officially and unreservedly” accused widespread abuse, torture and neglect of hundreds of thousands of children and vulnerable adults in their care, many of whom are indigenous. I apologized.
“It was scary. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened,” Lacson told a public bleacher packed with lawmakers and survivors of abuse.
A shocking report released in July after the largest survey ever conducted in New Zealand found that an estimated 200,000 people in state, foster and faith-based care had been left behind for 70 years. He announced that he was suffering from “terrible” abuse.
“For many people, it changed the course of their lives, and for that the government must take responsibility,” Luxon said.
“Words matter. I say this word with sincerity. I read your story and I believe you,” he added. The prime minister said he had also apologized on behalf of previous governments.
The report said the findings were a “national disgrace” after a six-year investigation, considered the most extensive of any similar investigation around the world. In this country of 5 million people, nearly a third of the 650,000 children and vulnerable adults who were in state, foster or church care between 1950 and 2019 were physically disabled. She endured physical, sexual, verbal, and psychological abuse. Many more were exploited or ignored.
They were disproportionately Maori, New Zealand’s indigenous people.
As a result of the findings, the New Zealand government agreed for the first time that the historic treatment of some children in notorious state-run hospitals amounted to torture, saying they had suffered abuse in state-run, foster and religious care since 1950. He promised to apologize to everyone who came.
Ahead of the apology, the Luxon provincial government was criticized by some survivors and supporters early Tuesday for not yet revealing plans for financial compensation to those who were abused.
