WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hundreds of abuse survivors in state, foster and faith-based care arrived at New Zealand Parliament in Wellington on Tuesday, each representing thousands more.

They came to listen to the government. formally apologize for the “unimaginable” horrors they suffered as children and vulnerable adults, after a lengthy inquiry delivered its final report into the extent of the abuse in July.

“You deserved much better and I deeply regret that New Zealand has not done better,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told them in Parliament hours later.

Many had specially printed t-shirts. Some used canes or wheelchairs due to the abuse they suffered in hospitals, institutions and nursing homes after being separated from their families. Some were familiar faces from decades of advocacy and campaigning, mostly ignored until recent years. The public gallery in the New Zealand Parliament is small (it seats less than 200 people) and a total of 500 had been selected from a ballot to attend.

Many were disappointed that details of financial compensation for their suffering were not released on Tuesday. Luxon promised that a repair system “will be up and running next year.”

The survivors spoke in their own words about that day:

Tu Chapman, a survivor who advised the investigation

“Right now I feel alone and completely desperate at the way this government has taken on the task of recognizing all survivors. Once again, like our decades of struggle, we have to validate our care experiences and our existence.

“We continue to live with the annihilation of our identities, the rape and plundering of our cultures through incompetent decision-making and intentional measures to invalidate our experiences. The clear and absolute destruction of lives cannot be minimized or swept under the rug, as the State, churches and religious organizations have done for decades.

“I think it was an empty and limited apology. It feels like they’re just considering things they can keep playing on. Stop playing and move on.”

Helen Beauchamp, who lived in 20 foster homes from the age of 4

“In my files, they wrote ‘not smart enough’ at age 4. My mother was in a hospital at age 12, placed there by her father. So it’s been a generational thing.

“Surviving has been a roller coaster and we still have no idea of ​​the outcome. It’s sad that our system is very slow. That makes it very difficult for many of us to have the anticipation of a little closure, a little light. This It’s a long, drawn-out timeline that needs to keep going.

“189 survivors were chosen from the ballot to sit in the public gallery today and I was one of them, so I was very lucky for that very reason. “Coming here is a broader and more meaningful way to apologize to our children, to our own families.”

Jazmine Te Hiwi, survivor of two camps for troubled youth

“Being acknowledged is the hardest part of being here. How do you accept that after being denied it for 40 years of your life? It almost feels like they force you to accept the apology.

“What bothers me is that we have people in high places who still look down on us, they don’t have any real understanding of why we are like this. There is a reason why some of our young people are committing crimes. I see myself in That we were just children innocents who were taken advantage of.

“When I hear about these young people getting into trouble, all they’re looking for is some kind of attention, some kind of love. But no one sees that, least of all these people. They think “the way to fix them is to send them to boot camp.” But that’s what they did to us. And that is why we are here today. It’s like it goes in one ear and comes out the other side.”

Charlotte Graham-Mclay, Associated Press