Survivor advocate welcomes abuse inquiry changes

The inclusion of religious institutions into a state abuse inquiry has been welcomed by those who work with male survivors of sexual abuse.

A Royal Commission into the historical abuse of children in state care, from 1950-1999, has been in a preliminary process since February.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Children’s Minister Tracey Martin announced on Monday that Cabinet had agreed to expand the commission’s remit to investigate abuse in church institutions after months of resistance.

Male Survivors Aotearoa chairman Phillip Chapman was one of those who made a submission that the inquiry be widened to include other organisations such as churches, schools and sports clubs.

While it could have gone further, he said the inclusion of churches and faith-based organisations was ‘‘good news’’.

But he did hold concerns about how the inquiry would be managed, as there were few support services for male survivors.

‘‘We’ve got no funding, nobody in the sexual violence sector knows what happens come June next year, there is nothing in place for any funding at the moment so we are all just hanging on.’’

The inquiry has a budget of $78.85 million over four years, which includes more than $15m to help participants by providing counselling and related support, which Chapman said was a good thing for the men who had been abused.

‘‘I just hope survivors are looked after.’’

He thought there was more awareness that men were victims of sexual abuse, but recent cases where an Auckland rugby coach was found guilty of 95 sex charges against 17 boys and a Kaitaia hostel owner drugged and assaulted male guests showed it was still a problem.

He said men who had been abused often thought they were the only ones it had happened to. The inquiry will hear evidence from January next year.

The first interim report, focusing on children in state care, will be delivered in 2020.

The second report, focused on faith-based institutions, will be released in 2023.