Monday 7 March

The voices of Māori survivors who were abused while they were in the care of State and faith-based institutions will be heard at today’s opening of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry Māori hearing.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has gifted the hearing the name “Tō muri te pō roa, tērā a Pokopoko Whiti-te-rā”. It refers to hope and healing for survivors of abuse in care, after years of darkness.

Throughout the hearing, Māori survivors and their whānau from throughout the motu will share their lived experiences of being abused in care while they were tamariki or vulnerable adults, and the ongoing impacts the tūkino, or abuse, has on them and their whānau.

We will hear evidence from rangatahi survivors and multiple generations of whānau, and Māori survivors and advocates will provide their vision of what a transformed care system should look like for Māori.

The hearing will explore how Māori in care were abused by the institutions meant to protect them. This included physical, sexual, psychological and racist abuse. Māori who were Deaf, disabled, LGBTQIA+ or of Pasifika descent were disproportionately affected.

Hearing will be livestreamed

The hearing was planned to be held at Ōrākei marae in Tāmaki Makaurau. However, due to COVID-19 Protection Framework restrictions, the Royal Commission and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have decided the hearing cannot be open to the general public.

Witnesses will provide evidence remotely by video link and the hearing will be livestreamed publicly on the Royal Commission website. Media can report from the hearing via the livestream.

Hearing part of Royal Commission’s wider Māori investigation

This hearing is one part of the Royal Commission’s wider Māori investigation, which includes kōrero with hundreds of Māori survivors and their whānau and Māori experts, and research and policy analysis.

Survivors will continue to meet with the Royal Commission through 2022. Their experiences will continue to inform all the Royal Commission’s interim reports, including the final report to be delivered in June 2023. An interim report into the experiences and impacts of Māori who were abused in care will be delivered in the first quarter of 2023.

The Royal Commission continues to encourage all Māori survivors to reach out and register with the Royal Commission.

Witness schedule - Monday 7 March

Full hearing schedule can be found here. Timings and details subject to change.

10.00am

Pōwhiri

Opening ceremony by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei

Opening statements – Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission and Core Participants

2.15pm

Tupua Urlich is from Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga. He will share his lived experience of being taken into State care from the age of five to 15. Tupua was placed in multiple foster homes and attended nine schools in 12 years during his time in care. This created a lack of stability and safety as a child, which has resulted in Tupua advocating for children in care.

3.45pm

Ihorangi Reweti-Peters is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa and Ngāi Tahu descent. He was placed in State care at a very young age. He will share his lived experiences of physical and mental abuse while in the care of Child, Youth and Family Services and Oranga Tamariki. Ihorangi's evidence will focus on contemporary experiences of abuse in care.

About the Inquiry

The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry is investigating the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults within State and faith-based institutions in Aotearoa New Zealand between 1950-1999. We can also learn from the experiences of survivors who have been in care after 1999, to make recommendations to help stop abuse happening in the future.

The Royal Commission is due to deliver its final report in June 2023.

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