New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon delivered a "formal and unreserved" apology in Parliament on Tuesday for the widespread abuse, torture, and neglect suffered by hundreds of thousands of children and vulnerable adults in care institutions, many of whom were indigenous. Luxon stated that such behavior was "shocking, heartbreaking, wrong, and should never have happened," addressing members of Parliament and a public gallery filled with abuse survivors.
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02-08, 2025A scathing report released in July revealed that an estimated 200,000 people suffered "unimaginable" abuse in state, foster, and religious institutions over a seventy-year period. The report was the culmination of New Zealand's largest-ever inquiry. Luxon said, "For many of you, this changed the course of your lives, and for that, the government must take responsibility."
Luxon added, "Words matter, and I say these words sincerely: I have read your stories, and I believe you." He indicated that the apology also represented previous governments. The inquiry report, following a six-year investigation, concluded with a finding of "national shame," and is believed to be the most extensive investigation of its kind globally.
Between 1950 and 2019, 650,000 children and vulnerable adults were in state, foster, and church care in New Zealand, a country with a population of 5 million today, and nearly one-third of them experienced physical, sexual, verbal, or psychological abuse. Many more suffered exploitation or neglect. Among them, Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, were disproportionately represented.
In response to the findings, the New Zealand government has for the first time acknowledged that the historical treatment of children in some notorious state-run hospitals constituted torture, and pledged to apologize to all those abused in state, foster, and religious institutions since 1950. Prior to the apology, some survivors and advocates criticized Luxon's government for not yet releasing a financial compensation plan for abuse victims.
