State care abuse inquiry called for

AUCKLAND: Prominent Kiwis have banded together to demand an independent inquiry into the claims of sexual and physical abuse of children in state care.

The Human Rights Commission has spearheaded an open letter to the Government calling for a comprehensive inquiry and a public apology to those who were abused, and their families, in what is described as a dark chapter in our history.

Among the 29 signatories of what now underpins the ‘‘Never Again’’ petition to the Government are Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy, Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford, Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner and former National MP Jackie Blue, former Mental Health Foundation chief executive Judi Clements and University of Otago dean of law Prof Mark Henaghan.

The background to their call is:

In 2001, the Government issued an apology and compensation to a group of former patients of the former Lake Alice psychiatric hospital after a report by a retired judge who had interviewed them and found their claims credible.

The issue widened to former patients of other asylums and the Government set up a confidential listening service for them to speak of the abuse they had suffered.

Former state wards made claims for abuse in state care and a listening service was created for them. The head of that service, Judge Carolyn Henwood, recommended creating an independent body to resolve historic and current complaints.

The Government last year rejected that recommendation.

In support of the commission’s call, Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson said ‘‘thousands of people were abused by their own government’’.

‘‘More than 100,000 New Zealanders were taken from their families and put into state institutions from the 1950s to the 1990s, where many suffered serious physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect over several years.

‘‘The extent of the abuse is unknown. We believe this painful and shocking chapter of New Zealand history is one that needs to be opened. If we do not openly talk about the mistakes we made, then we cannot ensure they are never repeated.’’

Indigenous Rights Commissioner Karen Johansen said Maori children were more likely to be taken from their families than other children. At some institutions, at least 80% of the young people were from Maori homes.

‘‘We know more than 40% of prison inmates spent their childhood in state care. This is a dark chapter in New Zealand history that must be . . . understood and never repeated.’’

The open letter is signed by iwi leaders, child advocates and disability sector representatives.

The Ministry of Social Development says that, to last September, it had directly received 1370 claims for abuse before 1993, of which 910 had been closed. It had made 728 payments ‘‘to acknowledge failings’’, and the average amount was $19,036.

Claims filed in court numbered 589, of which 224 were resolved out of court and none in court. Payments, averaging $20,958, had been made to 165 claimants.

Fortytwo direct claims for 1993 to 2007 had been paid out at, on average, $15,430. One court claim had been resolved, out of court, and the payment was $6000. — The New Zealand Herald