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 state care, many of whom were indigenous Māori.
Read Also...:
As warming climate hammers coffee crops, this rare bean may someday be your brew
03-04, 2025
Owner of NYC day care where toddler fatally ingested fentanyl gets 45 years in prison
03-04, 2025
Trump's long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico are now in effect, kicking off trade war
03-04, 2025
Hundreds of Tesla vehicles recalled due to a software issue which may affect the steering wheel
03-04, 2025Addressing lawmakers and a public gallery filled with abuse survivors, Luxon stated, "It was horrific, it was heartbreaking, it was wrong, and it should never have happened." He emphasized the gravity of the events and the responsibility that the government bears in addressing these past injustices.
A scathing report released in July, at the conclusion of New Zealand's largest-ever inquiry, estimated that 200,000 people suffered "unimaginable" abuse in state, foster, and religious care institutions over a period of up to seventy years. The inquiry report called the findings a "national disgrace," and the six-year investigation is considered one of the most extensive of its kind globally.
Luxon stated, "For many of you, it changed the course of your lives, and for that, the Government must take responsibility." He added, "Words matter, and I say these words sincerely: I have read your stories, and I believe you." The Prime Minister indicated that his apology was also on behalf of successive governments that had failed to protect these vulnerable individuals.
Between 1950 and 2019, nearly a third of the 650,000 children and vulnerable adults in state, foster, and faith-based care—in a country with a current population of 5 million—suffered physical, sexual, verbal, or psychological abuse. Even more were exploited or neglected, and the vast majority of them were Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. In response to the findings, the New Zealand government acknowledged for the first time that the historical treatment of some children in notorious state-run hospitals constituted torture, and pledged to apologize to all those abused in state, foster, and religious care since 1950.
Leading up to the apology, Luxon's government faced criticism from some survivors and advocates for not yet revealing a financial redress scheme for the abused. This issue remains a focal point of public attention and presents a further test of the government's commitment to providing meaningful reparations and support to the victims.
