Govt must listen to experiences of abuse survivors

The Government must do all it can to bring abuse in care to an end following the release of the independent inquiry.

“We cannot let history repeat itself, we must learn from our mistakes and bring abuse in care to an end,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for Children, Kahurangi Carter.

“The difficult journeys and harrowing testimonies from survivors who contributed to the Royal Commission of Inquiry cannot be ignored. It is incumbent on the Government to listen and learn from their stories.

“This five-year inquiry involved painstaking collation of stories from people who have experienced grave mistreatment in care. We as a country have a duty to ensure this inquiry wasn’t in vain.

“However the reality is that the policies of this Government are likely to see a continuation of the legacy of neglect and abuse at the hands of the state.

“Labelling troubled children as young serious offenders, sending them to military boot camps, removing Treaty provisions in the Oranga Tamariki Act and building mega prisons all contribute to a cradle to the grave pipeline of institutionalisation which ruins people’s lives.

“The report’s recommendations for how to address the disgraceful legacy of abuse are clear - it is also clear the Government is taking us in a different direction.

“Let’s not fail rangatahi all over again.

“We acknowledge and thank all those survivors, whānau, hapū, iwi, communities and support networks who advocated and told their stories throughout the Inquiry. Māori, Pasifika, disabled, impoverished and Rainbow tamariki have borne the brunt of this abuse.

“We can build a future where abuse and neglect is eliminated by undertaking transformational change to a system that has failed our communities time and time again.

“Hundreds of thousands of young people were abused and neglected. An apology must be followed with redress and meaningful action,” says Kahurangi Carter.

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