New Zealand PM apologises to 200,000 survivors of 'unimaginable' abuse in state and church care

Watch Prime Minister Christopher Luxon make his apology to survivors of abuse in New Zealand's parliament

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has made a “formal and unreserved” apology for the "unimaginable" abuse, torture and neglect of over 200,000 adults and children.

A report released in July estimated more than 200,000 people in state, foster, and faith-based care in New Zealand suffered severe abuse between 1950 and 2019. Those who suffered were disproportionately Māori, New Zealand’s Indigenous people.

“It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened,” Luxon said in New Zealand's Parliament on Tuesday as he spoke to survivors of abuse.

He apologised for the role previous governments had in the abuse, "For many of you it changed the course of your life, and for that, the government must take responsibility".

"Words do matter and I say these words with sincerity: I have read your stories, and I believe you."

He added vulnerable people in foster and church care, “should have been safe and treated with respect, dignity and compassion... But instead, you were subjected to horrific abuse and neglect and in some cases torture".

Of 650,000 vulnerable children and adults in the country's state, foster, and church care between 1950 and 2019, nearly a third endured physical, sexual, verbal or psychological abuse. Many more were exploited or neglected.

“We will never know that true number,” Chris Hipkins, the leader of the opposition, told Parliament.

“Many people entering into state and faith-based institutions were undocumented. Records were incomplete, they've gone missing, and in some cases, yes, they were deliberately destroyed.”

In response to the findings, New Zealand’s government agreed for the first time that the historical treatment of some children in a notorious state-run hospital amounted to torture, and pledged an apology to all those abused in state, foster and religious care since 1950.Luxon’s government was publicly denounced by some survivors and advocates earlier on Tuesday ahead of the apology - for not yet having revealing plans for the financial compensation of those abused.

Fa’afete Taito, a survivor of violent abuse at another state-run home, said the apology was "not enough".

“It's not enough to say sorry,” he said.

"It's what you do to heal the wounds of your actions and make sure it never happens again that really counts.”

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know