Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has addressed abuse survivors gathered in Parliament and watching from across the country, acknowledging their terrible anguish.

“They have been heard. And they have been believed,” Luxon said in the Debates Chamber.

“I’m sorry they didn’t believe you when you came forward to report your abuse.

“I regret that many bystanders (staff, volunteers and carers) turned a blind eye and did not stop or report the abuse. I regret that the State’s supervision of people in care was so poor.

Christopher Luxon apologizes in Parliament.
Photo: screenshot

“I regret that many abusers were not brought to justice, which meant that other people suffered abuse that could have been prevented.

“I regret that the State has not acted quickly and boldly enough to provide much better protection to people in all care settings, and that those acting on behalf of the Crown have lost sight of them, the people behind the claims “.

Some in the public gallery stood to hear his words, one of those occasions when only a few empty seats remain.

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Recognition and apology have been slow in coming. While much more action was needed, including compensation and appropriate repairs, this was a start, something Luxon itself also acknowledged.

“Clearly, words must be accompanied by actions,” he said. “We must do right by you and give you the support you need. Second, we must do everything we can to prevent future abuse.”

He said many survivors did not want to participate in the current compensation process, but more than 3,500 did, and noted that an additional $32 million would be funneled into that system “as we work on the new reparations system.”

Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins said he formally joined the government’s apology and called the day an important step forward.

“Today is a very important day for all of you, to finally hear what the Crown has not given you all these years: an apology. It is a very important day for us, the representatives of the Crown and successive governments. – May we finally acknowledge the thousands of competing experiences of neglect, abuse, trauma, torture, and may we finally fully acknowledge our failures and offer our most sincere apologies.

“We are sorry. Today all of Aotearoa New Zealand will bear witness to the truth, to what the survivors experienced, to our decades of willful ignorance, denial, minimization and our conviction to put an end to such horrors and vile acts.”

He said the country owed a huge debt to the survivors.

Labor leader Chris Hipkins also apologized.
Photo: Reece Baker/RNZ

Survivors speak

Fa’afete Taito
Photo: supplied

Previously, three survivors had also been selected to speak.

Fa’afete Taito recognized those who “left to join their ancestors” and others who had come forward but were ignored.

“Without you, today would not have existed.

“It hurts to delve into the pain. But beyond that, what we wanted and needed was some responsibility for what happened to us.”

He said survivors would see what accountability looks like.

“Regardless of what happens today, it is our collective power that will contribute the most to our healing journey. We owe it to ourselves.”

Keith Wiffen, who spent time at Epuni Boys’ Home, said he had heard “nonsense words” from the state before. He also acknowledged those who had died before seeing today’s apology or effective reparation, and asked the prime minister to work on it.

“You gave hope and generated expectations that reparation would soon be achieved. It is time to do it.

“Prime Minister, you must hold churches and religious organizations to account. You must force them to do the right thing, as the State has an obligation to all the children under its roof.”

Tu Chapman called for the abolition of the Children’s Ministry, Oranga Tamariki, telling the prime minister “you owe us right now”.

Placed in state care before his second birthday, Chapman remained there until he was 17.

“Five minutes. That is what each of us has been given to speak on behalf of tens of thousands of survivors in response to today’s apology. Five minutes for decades of abuse, neglect and torture by those who lead the state, the church and religious organizations. Five minutes is all this regime has given us to respond to the apology of a Prime Minister we have not even heard yet.

“Prime Minister, put your money where your mouth is.”

Apologies from the public sector

Andres Bridgman
Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER

The day began with Minister Erica Stanford welcoming 250 survivors to the Parliament Banquet Hall and telling them “today is about you.”

“You will never, ever be forgotten. The stories of thousands of brave survivors will be forever etched in the pages of our history.”

They also heard from public sector agency leaders, with Oranga Tamariki’s Andrew Bridgman acknowledging the fear and abuse faced by children in state care.

“When you asked for help, we didn’t listen to you. When you showed us the bruises, we looked away… we’re sorry we didn’t give you a safe place to grow up.”

Some in the audience shouted that “sorry isn’t enough,” and others shook their heads in disbelief as Bridgman spoke.

Health director-general Diana Sarfati said the health system had failed them, with insufficient systems to report abuse and neglect, and no action when it was reported.

“In some cases, this alleged treatment was so abhorrent that the United Nations and the government have recognized it as torture. This abuse was carried out by people in positions of authority that survivors should have been able to trust, including caregivers and healthcare workers. health. “.

Education Secretary Andy Johnson acknowledged that the care and needs of survivors should have been the priority “and they weren’t… it wasn’t their fault… our failures extended to many communities and cultures.”

“Apologizing without change is abuse,” a crowd member shouted as Jackson received sporadic applause.

Social Development executive director Debbie Power said the ministry may have believed it was saving children from danger, “but we were often putting them in danger. We didn’t always protect them, for that I am deeply sorry.”

“Our reparations process has not always worked well. I accept the Royal Commission’s conclusion that for some of you it has been slow, traumatizing and litigious.”

The audience response to Power had been the loudest yet – some calling for him to reveal his files – but the loudest response was reserved for Attorney General Una Jagose, head of Crown Law.

At times she had to stop speaking, struggling to be heard in the crowd, even as some left.

“I’m here today to say I’m sorry,” he said.

“No you’re not,” one person said. “You wanted us dead,” said another; “You never treated us with dignity”; “They paid you a lot of money to silence us.”

“I won’t look away. We’ll do better,” Jagose concluded as boos and a small number of applause echoed through the room.

Acting Police Commissioner Tania Kura received a much calmer response and loud applause, acknowledging that police had sometimes harbored biases against victims, sometimes without believing the stories or investigating.

“We asked no questions if you ran away and relied on the explanations of the people we brought you back to. These failures spanned decades across multiple police administrations and as the current commissioner, I take full responsibility.”

Finally, the Public Service Commissioner recognized the public sector’s failures to ensure and enforce standards of integrity and conduct of public servants.

“I regret that we have not always fulfilled those responsibilities.”