New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon engages with a traditional dancer upon arrival for the Leaders' Retreat at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa, on October 26, 2024. – AFP file

New Zealand's prime minister issued a historic apology on Tuesday to victims of abuse in state care, recognizing the 'unimaginable pain' endured within children's homes and psychiatric hospitals. A six-year public inquiry revealed that approximately 200,000 vulnerable New Zealanders were abused in state care over seven decades since the 1950s, describing the findings as an 'unthinkable national catastrophe'. Youngsters were sexually abused by church carers, mothers were coerced into giving up children for adoption, and patients were subjected to inhumane treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon apologized on behalf of successive governments that ignored these harrowing reports.

'I am sorry you were not believed when you came forward to report your abuse,' he said in a parliamentary address. 'Some of you may feel my words count for little after so long and so much hurt. But I hope that today, with this apology and the acknowledgement of your burden, it becomes a little lighter for some of you.' Survivors filled the public gallery in New Zealand's parliament to witness Luxon's apology, many overcome with emotion. Others expressed discontent when New Zealand's solicitor-general, accused of obstructing survivors' legal claims, offered her own apology at a press conference.

Survivor Tu Chapman highlighted the government's responsibility for 'decades of abuse, neglect, and torture by those running state, church, and faith-based institutions'. Luxon announced that officials had begun removing the names of proven perpetrators from street signs and public memorials. Churches implicated in the abuse were urged to 'do the right thing' and participate in the redress process.

'I want to acknowledge those of you who struggled to get help from government agencies when you came forward to report your abuse. This has meant you have had to re-live your trauma over and over again,' Luxon said. He specifically addressed the notorious Lake Alice psychiatric hospital, where patients recounted being sterilized, used in unethical medical experiments, and subjected to electric shocks.

'To those of you who were tortured at Lake Alice – young, alone, and subjected to unimaginable pain – I am deeply sorry,' Luxon expressed. Many victims reported enduring long-term trauma that has led to addiction and other issues. The report also found that some of the abuse was 'overlaid with racism' targeting Indigenous Maori. The inquiry, established in 2018, has made 233 recommendations that Luxon's government has pledged to consider.

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