Explainer: The Royal Commission Abuse in Care Inquiry final report is released

What is a Royal Commission?

A Royal Commission is an investigation into a serious issue that is of the public interest and importance. It gathers facts and involves people directly involved in the issue - such as survivors, witnesses and experts. The inquiry looks into what happened, why and makes recommendations on preventing it happening again in the future.

Some recent examples of other Royal Commission inquiries include investigations into the Pike River mine tragedy in 2010, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the 2019 mosque shootings.

While the Royal Commission Abuse in Care Inquiry focused on many different groups who experienced abuse while in state care, the intention of this article is to focus on its importance in relation to disabled and Deaf people, and whānau hauā me tāngata whaikaha Māori, who suffered disproportionately at the hands of the state.

What needed investigating?

Survivors of historical abuse have long called for a Royal Commission inquiry into abuse in care in Aotearoa. Prior to 2006, when the last institution for disabled people closed, many disabled people lived separated from their communities in isolated institutions. It was at these institutions, and other state-run residential facilities and faith-based care settings, that abuse towards disabled and Deaf children and adults happened.

What did the process look like?

The Government announced the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care in 2018. The inquiry looked into abuse between the years 1950 and 1999. Evidence was gathered from survivors of abuse through interviews and public hearings. Some of this evidence has been shared in reports already, for example, Tell Me About You, which looked at the experiences of survivors living with learning disabilities. 

Following the evidence gathering process, several interim reports were published. These reports described the key themes and common issues from the experiences shared by survivors and witnesses.

What did we learn from the Royal Commission inquiry? 

The inquiry was a significant process, which took place over many years. The lessons learned are extensive, and cannot easily be summarised here. However, media reports detailed the extent to which disabled people were abused in care. Some of the abuse was deliberate and some staff knew it was happening, whilst the abusers were not punished. Through the public hearings, we also learnt that abuse is still happening today. 

Some disabled people have shared their experiences publicly beyond the Royal Commission inquiry, such as Lusi Faiva and Gary Williams MNZM.

Why is the final report important?

The final report is called: Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light. It includes stories from survivors and what they experienced while in state care. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has described these stories as “horrific and harrowing”.

The report also includes extensive recommendations to the Government about how to improve the standard of state-based care in the future. These recommendations have been informed by survivors’ stories. 

If implemented, the recommendations could transform the way people are cared for in the future. We won’t know for some time if the Government will accept, act on or implement any of the recommendations.

What happens next?

The final report is being tabled in Parliament and made public on Wednesday 24 July. The Prime Minister has said the Government would apologise to survivors on 12 November at Parliament.

Recommendations on how to ensure this abuse never happens again are included in the report, however the Government is under no obligation to put the recommendations into motion.

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