MANA CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO ABUSE

Press Release – Tue 11 April 2017

“The hypocrisy of government launching a Ministry for Vulnerable Children, while refusing to launch an inquiry into the abuse of children in state care is mindboggling” said MANA Leader Hone Harawira “Its point the bone everywhere else but the mirror …”

“100,000 kids have been taken into state care since 1950, and I don’t know of any who talk about it being a pleasant experience” said Harawira “The horror stories we saw on Sunday’s The Hui are just the tip of an iceberg”

“Those who have tried to make complaints tell us how hard it is to get over the shame and embarrassment to want to do something, then how hard it is to get somebody to listen, how long it takes for anyone to respond, how difficult it is to get at the truth, and how traumatising it is to be dragged through the whole ugly memory again”

“More than 50,000 of the kids caught up in this whole sordid affair are Maori, and they deserve our support” said Harawira “Maori MPs from all sides of the house need to stand together on this. These are our people our cousins our whanau”

“There must be official recognition of the problem and an independent inquiry into the historical abuse of children in state care”

ENDS

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