New Zealand Report Reveals Widespread Abuse in State Care

New Zealand has released a comprehensive report on abuse in state and faith-based care. Over 200,000 victims, from 1950 to 1999, endured suffering. The report, weighing 14kg, took six years to compile.

Abuse was rampant—including sexual, physical, and emotional forms. Caregivers, religious leaders, social workers, and doctors were among the perpetrators. Children at Lake Alice Psychiatric hospital were subjected to torture in the 1970s.

Survivors often faced homelessness, poverty, addiction, and even worse outcomes. Māori survivors particularly lost touch with their cultural heritage. Some ended up joining gangs, incarcerated, or taking their own lives.

The report advocates for the establishment of a new agency, the Care Safe Agency, to prevent future abuses. It also demands formal apologies from leaders and churches.

This report marks a beginning, not an end. It calls for a complete overhaul of the care system. Survivors are hopeful for transformation, moving from darkness to light.