The coalition Government welcomes the presentation of the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care to the Governor-General.

“This marks the end of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.

The Royal Commission was established on 30 January 2018 to investigate children, young people, and vulnerable adults’ experiences of abuse and neglect in State care in New Zealand between the years of 1950-1999. It was then expanded to cover care by faith-based institutions on 12 November 2018. It has also heard about abuse that occurred since 2000.

“I want to personally acknowledge the significant contribution of nearly 3,000 survivors who shared their experiences of abuse and neglect over the last five years. My heart goes out to you, your families, and your support networks. This would not have been an easy process, and we acknowledge your courage. 

“The Royal Commission gathered these experiences through private sessions and written accounts, along with witness statements at 14 public hearings held between October 2019 and October 2022.

“I also want to pay tribute to the commissioners and staff who were responsible for capturing the experiences, collating them and presenting the final report and recommendations to the Governor-General,” Ms van Velden says.

The report and the recommendations will be made public when the report is presented to Parliament during the next sitting week, on Wednesday 24 July. Ministers and parties will respond to the report at 4pm. This will allow survivors to travel to Wellington to attend if they wish, as well as allow time for the report to be presented in accessible formats.

“I want to thank survivors for their bravery for sharing their stories. This is a significant milestone for them and it’s important we acknowledge that. My expectation is officials will work across Government to provide an initial assessment of the final report and recommendations to Cabinet over the coming months, I also expect that where possible, officials will engage with survivor representatives to help inform these,” Minister responsible for coordinating the Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, Erica Stanford says.

“Once Ministers have the opportunity to consider the Royal Commission’s final report and recommendations, we will take the time needed to ensure that the Crown response is well considered, coherent, and comprehensive.”

The Government is also continuing with work in response to the Royal Commission’s 2021 interim redress report.

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