Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care

[26] A former nun, Dr Michelle Mulvihill told the Commission she had been employed by St John of God to respond to hundreds of sexual abuse claims in Australia and New Zealand.

[38][39][40][41][42] Former social workers and academics Professor Emily Keddell and Dr Ian Hyslop called for an institutional reform of the child and family welfare and protection system, with particularly attention to the needs of Māori.

[43] Plaintiffs testified that they had experienced beatings, being overprescribed medicines, forced feeding, starvation, sexual abuse (including rape), and neglect at the hands of staff members.

Mike Ferris of the Citizens Commission for Human Rights praised the hearing for shedding light on decades of abuse and called for a holistic approach to engaging with disabled individuals.

[47] On 13 August 2022, former Lake Alice psychiatric hospital patient Paul Zentveld met at a weekend hui (meeting) in Raglan organised by the Waikato chapter of the Mongrel Mob to encourage members to participate in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care in order to seek redress.

While Power testified that MSD had enacted policies to address these complaints, Toohey questioned why the Ministry had allowed an employee facing allegations of abuse to remain in their employment at a youth justice facility.

The commission had also earlier heard plaintiffs testifying about racism and beatings including teenagers being beaten with phone books in order not to leave marks on their bodies.

[52][53] On 22 August, Oranga Tamariki's chief executive Chappie Te Kani admitted that the state agency had made multiple failings in preventing and reporting the abuse of children in its care.

Te Kani also acknowledged that Oranga Tamariki's poor data collection practices meant that the organisation had no figures on Māori and Pasifika children entrusted to its care.

Deputy chief executive Nicolette Dickson also acknowledged that the agency's failings had created mistrust between Māori and European New Zealanders (Pākehā) involved in state care.

In addition, the report found that Māori children and young people had a higher rate of imprisonment than other ethnic groups, with 42% later serving custodial sentences as adults.

During questioning, Juanita Ryan, Corrections' deputy chief executive of health services, admitted that the department did not have specific therapeutic programmes for prisoners who had been former state wards.

Gloriavale's leadership also confirmed that they had instituted reforms including allowing family members to spend more time together and implementing new policies around child protection, bullying and sexual harassment, and external investigations of abuse allegations.

[59] Between 17 and 18 October, the Royal Commission heard from several Catholic representatives including Bishop Patrick Dunn, Cardinal John Dew, the Society of Mary's Father Tim Duckworth, St Patrick's College Silverstream's Clare Couch and Dr Paul Flanagan of the Church's National Safeguarding and Professional Standards Committee, who apologised for abuse against children and young people in the care of Catholic institutions.

[61] On 19 October, former Dilworth principal Murray Wilton apologised for sexual abuses committed by twelve former staff members who had been charged and prosecuted as part of the Operation Beverly police investigation.

[62] On 20 October, Dilworth Trust chairman Aaron Snodgrass appeared before the Royal Commission and testified that the school was taking action to address historical abuse including an independent inquiry and a redress programme.

[64] Wesley College alumni and Moana Pasifika rugby player Sekope Kepu also testified about the abuse he had experienced and talked about his former school's efforts to address bullying.

The interim report focused on three Catholic institutions in Christchurch run by the Order of Saint John of God: Marylands School, Hebron Trust, and St Joseph's Orphanage.

Survivors reported being denied access to Sign Language and deaf culture in classes, educational neglect, institutionalisation, and experiencing regular physical and sexual abuse at the hands of staff and peers.

[88] On 22 July 2024 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that he would make a formal public apology on 12 November 2024 to victims of abuse in state and faith-based care.

[91] On 24 November 2017 Bill Kilgallon, the director of the Catholic Church's National Office for Professional Standards, urged the Government to include faith-based institutions within the scope of the Royal Commission of Inquiry.

[92] On 26 March 2021, Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington and president of New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, apologised to abuse victims in the Royal Commission of Inquiry and stated that its systems and culture must change.

[98] In early June 2023, the Jehovah's Witnesses church filed for legal action to be exempted from the Royal Commission's investigation into sexual and other abuse by faith-based institutions.

[100] On 24 June 2024, the Auckland High Court rejected an urgent claim filed by the Jehovah's Witnesses to obtain an advanced copy of the Abuse in Care Inquiry's final report into their church.

"[108] On 6 February 2025, Barton resumed his position as NZ Law Society president after a standards inquiry committee concluded that he had not breached their rules or committed "unsatisfactory conduct.

"[109] On 12 September 2024, Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford would fund the travel expenses for survivors and one support person to attend the apology ceremony in Parliament or at a venue nearest to their home: the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland, Shed 6 in Wellington or the Christchurch Town Hall.

Smale had previous asked Luxon whether there was a link between tough and crime policies and gang membership, and had also criticised Children's Minister Karen Chhour for comparing the Government's boot camp programme to the Māori battalion.

[114][115] In response, University of Auckland political scientist Stephen Winter expressed concern that the Government's apology and proposed law changes would be inadequate without sufficient input from abuse survivors and proper funding for redress, counselling and accessing records.

Lake Alice survivor Bruce Harkness had petitioned Erica Stanford, the lead coordination minister for the Government's response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, on the day that the final report had been tabled.

Nine individuals Rūpene Paul Amato, James William Goodwin, Tristram Richard Ingham, Leoni Frances McInroe, Paora Crawford Moyle, Moeapulu Frances Eileen Tagaloa, Keith Vernon Wiffin, Gary Michael Williams and Paul Andrew Zentveld were made Companions of the King's Service Order while seven individuals Kathleen Patricia Coster, Hans-Josef Erwin Freller, Neta Bernadette Gilbert (Neta Kerepeti), Toni Lee James Jarvis, Michael Joseph Ledingham, Eugene Shane Te Awamate Ryder and Darryl William Smith received King's Service Medals for their work.