A group representing some survivors of abuse claims the estimated number of people abused while in care is well off the mark.
Survivors need to see action before they truly trust the Royal Commission, one of their representatives says. Photo: RNZ
An interim report from the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care has been released this afternoon.
It says of the 655,000 young people in care between 1950 and 2019 nearly 40 percent were abused, about a quarter of a million young people.
The Royal Commission said the true figure of historical abuse in care would never be known because of large gaps and deficiencies in the data collected at the time - and the 250,000 figure may be conservative.
The Network of Survivors of Abuse in faith based care is putting the number close to 400,000.
Spokesperson Liz Tonks believes the figure has been underestimated because many places have not been included.
"Like people in day school, people at Gloriavale and other places like that. The argument was that the data wasn't easily available. Well, we have the data and we know that it is likely there is 60 percent underestimated."
She said survivors needed to see action before they would truly trust the Royal Commission.
"If we look at state and faith we would say it is a serious omission to separate them because they were affected by the same trauma and had many of the lifelong impacts and they need the same solutions."
'A flashing beacon' for abusers
A survivor of state care between the ages of two and 20, Sharyn Shepperd also believed the estimate was wrong.
"I know if you were a state ward, if you were a welfare child, if you were a foster child, you were treated very differently. Everybody in the community knew that you were different. They knew that you were unwanted and that sort of set you apart and you became a flashing beacon for anybody who wanted to do anything that they thought they could get away with."
The report said most of those abused came from the most disadvantaged or marginalised segments of the community, particularly from whānau Māori and Pacific families.
Professor of Māori Health at the Auckland University of Technology Denise Wilson said the negative effects of being in care and the abuse that went with it were wide-reaching.
Sonja Cooper Photo: RNZ / Aaron Smale
"It is a timely reminder that we do need to take a serious stocktake of the country and make some changes going forward. I think this report coupled with the inquiry into Oranga Tamariki really highlight the need to really overhaul everything we are doing for children and young people."
Sonja Cooper, whose law firm Cooper Legal represents many abuse survivors, found the interim report punchy and believed the Crown would be dismayed reading it.
"The Crown as a whole has failed to recognise the true nature and extent of the problem of abuse in care and it has repeatedly taken a narrow view and failed to recognise that many claims with its agencies or before the courts are the petitions of vulnerable people with legitimate claims of injustice against the state."
She thought survivors would feel their voices had been heard, "and those who have advocated and continue to advocate for them have been heard as well".
Possibility of Crown apology
Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said the findings in the interim report are sobering and the amount of abuse identified in the report was unacceptably high.
"What's clear over time the Crown has spent a disportionate amount of its energy defending unacceptable behaviour rather than take a victim-centric approach. That's a strategy that we have already changed and we are continuing to work on that, to look at how we can have a more victim-centric approach when it comes to dealing with these types of historic issues."
Hipkins expected the Crown would make a decision on an apology once the Royal Commission handed over its final report.
Survivors of abuse were hoping the Commission would recommend an independent body be established as soon as possible to deal with all abuse claims, but that has not happened.
Survivor Keith Wiffen said all survivors believed there was a desperate need for an independent process so they would not have to deal with the abusing institution directly.
"These people have shown that by themselves they can't get this right and there needs to be an independent body put in place in conjunction with a fair compensation regime."
Royal Commission chair Coral Shaw said a redress investigation report would be handed down next year which would have recommendations in it.