Commission clarifies scope not dependent on where abuse took place

Priests who abused children in their own homes will be included in a Royal Commission into historical sexual abuse.

The move is being described as a change-in-scope by advocates but the Royal Commission says it is only a clarification of the existing scope.

After the Government bowed to pressure and added abuse in faith-based institutions to the Royal Commission, victims and survivors were concerned the scope was too narrow, because it only looked at abuse in bricksand-mortar institutions.

But advocate Liz Tonks, from Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, said she got confirmation late on Monday that the scope had been widened meaning priests and the like who abused children in places such as family homes, at functions, during weekends, or on holidays would also be looked at. ‘‘Survivors in our network are very happy with the announcement,’’ Tonks said.

The commission plans to investigate the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults who were in the care of State and faithbased institutions in New Zealand between 1950 and 1999.

But it said it may also consider cases out of those years.

A Royal Commission spokeswoman said the move was clarifying the existing terms of the inquiry rather than a change.