New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has issued a historic apology to victims of abuse in state care, acknowledging the “unimaginable pain” endured by vulnerable individuals in children’s homes and psychiatric institutions. The apology follows the findings of a public inquiry, which revealed that approximately 200,000 people were subjected to abuse in state care over several decades, describing the situation as an “unthinkable national catastrophe.”
The abuse, which spanned across various institutions, included sexual assault by church carers, forced adoptions of children from mothers, and the use of violent and unethical treatments in psychiatric hospitals, such as electroconvulsive therapy that induced seizures.
Delivering the apology in Parliament on Tuesday, Luxon expressed regret on behalf of successive governments that ignored or overlooked the victims’ suffering. “I am sorry you were not believed when you came forward to report your abuse,” he said. “Some of you may feel my words count for little after so much hurt and so much time has passed, but I hope that today, with this apology and the acknowledgment of your burden, it becomes a little lighter for some of you.”
Luxon specifically addressed the horrors that occurred at the infamous Lake Alice psychiatric hospital in rural New Zealand, where patients were subjected to unethical medical experiments, involuntary sterilizations, and electric shock treatments. “To those of you who were tortured at Lake Alice — young, alone, and subjected to unimaginable pain — I am deeply sorry,” he said.
Many victims of the abuse have reported ongoing trauma, with some turning to addiction and other challenges as a result of their experiences. The inquiry also revealed that a portion of the abuse was compounded by racial discrimination, with Indigenous Māori individuals being disproportionately targeted.
The inquiry, which began in 2018, has made 233 recommendations aimed at addressing the harm caused and preventing future abuse. Luxon’s government has pledged to consider these recommendations as part of a broader effort to address the legacy of abuse in state care.
